RWBY X STAR WARS: Soul of Remnant
by Kindom Rider92
Summary: When Ruby Rose discovers a hidden secret about her mother's origins, Teams RWBY and JNPR must put their battles with the White Fang and Cinder Fall on hold to combat threats from a galaxy far, far away. With sniper-scythes vs. lightsabers, may Monty Oum and the Force have mercy on the galaxy. Rated Teen for violence, blood, and mild language. Set in the Old Republic Era, Legends.
1. Chapter 1: Rishi Station Ambush

A/N: So, it's my birthday. Among other updates (like _Mega Man Star Network, __Sonic Chao Chronicles_ so it's not dead, and a couple things on my deviantART page), I've decided to take my hand at Star Wars. After all, all six movies are available now on iTunes or other download sites as of today (funniest birthday present ever), so why not take a crack at one of the two most iconic franchises in sci-fi media history before J. J. Abrhams and Disney blow me out of the water completely? Seriously, those guys will make it a masterpiece.

As for the other category... RWBY. I'm going to be completely honest, this idea started out BEFORE I found out Monty Oum had some health-related problems, and... died... two months ago. Wow, that got depressing really fast. It's a good thing that Rooster Teeth is continuing his work. After his death, I was almost tempted to scrap this story completely because I felt that nothing I'd do this his personal baby would be anywhere near his level of awesome fights... and I'm not really used to writing full action girls. However, I remembered a quote from him: "Never let anyone tell you something is impossible." I then spent the past two months working on it, trying to make a movie-like feel... before deciding "Too complicated, episodic nature ala _Clone Wars, Rebels, _and the real RWBY!" in order to test that quote.

So why cross these two universes over? Well, _Star Wars,_ when it first came out, was your classic reconstruction of the sci-fi genre with a fairy tale like theme. It then has been expanded upon by various sources, such as say, _Knights of the Old Republic,_ that trilogy being considered by many fans to be so good that they may as well be canon (well, that and _The Force Unleashed _games). As you all have probably figured out, I'm a gamer. Then Disney bought the rights to Lucasfilms and coincidentally the franchise, and has made the entire expanded universe (as in everything that is not one of the movies, the _Star Wars: Clone Wars_ mini-series, the _Star Wars: The Clone Wars _CGI movie and cartoon series, and the latest_ Star Wars: _ Rebels series)non-canon in order for _The Force Awakens _to make sense. They DID, however, put all of that expanded universe stuff in the Legends, so it's not like it's all lost. Besides, there is almost an entire milenium of potential right there that nobody's touched on in the Old Republic Era. I'm going to claim it. After all, this is non-canon to both series.

But for a more practical reason, RWBY and the prequel _Star Wars _films have really fast and amazing fight scenes, both CGI series have amazing fights... and come on, you want to see Yang punch a Sith in the Face, and a lightsaber slice a Grimm in half. I guarantee BOTH will happen. And yes, I've thought about the fact that lightsabers are going to be popping up just about everywhere, so I'm responding appropriately for the RWBY originated cast and giving their weapons the appropriate properties of lightsaber-resistant materials so Crescent Rose doesn't break every time Ruby swings it to block a lightsaber. That way, a lightsaber is not going to be an instant-win weapon when a Jedi or a Sith fights a Huntsman or a Huntress. Furthermore, every single Star Wars-related character is technically an OC because this is an unexplored time period in any timeline, the official Canon Timeline or Legends timeline.

That said, I've wasted too much time talking about this and not enough time putting up a disclaimer or how to work with speaking or thinking.

"Hey."-Basic/English. This is the usual conversation style I will write in for humans, Faunus, or alien characters speaking Galatic Basic.

"[Greetings, human.]"-Alien language roughly translated to Basic/English. I'm not about to go on Wookiepedia, look up Huttese, and write everything a Hutt says in Huttese and make you have to figure out what a Hutt says for accuracy. That's no fun for anyone. You are welcome for my laziness.

"[R0=Greetings, reader/have news.]"-Droid speak translated. Blame _Star Wars: The Old Republic_ for this one. Any droids not capable of speaking Basic or English will be written like this since they are rather unique speakers by the standards of the _Star Wars _universe.

_"Anything in full italics, come in!"_-Radio/Scroll/Holo-communicator/phone chat. Basically, anyone communicating over a distance from the PoV characters' will have this.

'(Maybe this will work...)'-Universal thoughts. Self-explanatory.

Now, with all of that FINALLY out of the way, there's only one thing left to do before I get started. The disclaimer.

**DISCLAIMER:** THE FOLLOWING IS A FAN-FICTION AND IS NON-CANON TO EITHER UNIVERSE. RWBY AND ITS CHARACTERS, LORE, AND MATERIALS ARE ALL OWNED BY ROOSTER TEETH PRODUCTIONS. STAR WARS AND ITS LORE, SPECIES, AND PROPERTIES ARE OWNED BY LUCASFILMS. PLEASE SUPPORT THE OFFICIAL RELEASE OF RWBY VOLUME 3 AND STAR WARS EPISODE 7, BOTH OF WHICH WILL BE OUT BY YEAR'S END. THIS DISCLAIMER GOES FOR ALL CHAPTERS.

* * *

_A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…_

* * *

**RWBY**

**X**

**STAR WARS**

SOUL OF REMNANT

Around 2,500 years before the rise of Darth Vader and the Galactic Empire, the Galactic Republic and Sith Empire continue to wage war against each other. Although the Republic has managed to drive the Empire back time and again over the course of a thousand years after the Battle of Corellia, the Empire has—in the past twenty years—managed to gain a colossal push against the Republic, and the new Emperor, DARTH CRUMMA, has begun finalizing a sinister plan. Furthermore, the nefarious criminal organization, the HUTT CARTEL, has joined in on the fray, leading much of the galaxy's underworld against the Republic.

However, hope is not lost within the Republic. The Jedi Order, led by YALE SHAN of the famous family of Jedi Knights of the Republic, continues to fight against the Sith. Furthermore, the Republic's best and brightest military leaders are contributing to the war effort against both groups. Supreme Chancellor ASASHA BI has wished to continue the fight and wishes to gather allies.

During her search for allies, however, the Chancellor has discovered the existence of a brand new world of Force-sensitive beings beyond the dangerous Rishi Maze: the small planet of REMNANT. However, the Emperor knows of this world as well. The Republic, the Empire, and the Hutt Cartel are preparing to scramble for this world, and add it to their power. However, unbeknownst to any of these sides, two powerful beings are determined to keep this world from any of them….

* * *

**Republic Station, Orbit above Rishi—09:16**

The colossal Republic warship docked with the orbital station. Several white and orange armored troops were gathered in ceremony for the ship's arrival near the station's docking airlock. When the airlock opened, a female Togruta in her early 30s that was rather tall for her species with orange skin and yellow eyes emerged. She was wearing a brown long-sleeved top with a green cape, a brown skirt, and no shoes. Many people considered this odd, but understood her wish to keep to her species' culture.

One of the soldiers, a human male with short brown hair, green eyes, and in his late twenties walked towards her. She noticed that he had a cybernetic implant next to his left eye. "Supreme Chancellor," the man greeted. "Welcome to Rishi… or rather, the Republic station floating around Rishi."

"It's still Rishi," Chancellor Asasha Bi giggled. "Though I have to say, Lieutenant Lyonvas, thank you for the warm welcome." Soon enough, two brown-cloaked individuals came from the airlock. One was a human-like man with black hair slicked back who was wearing a white blindfold over his eyes. The other was a young, green-skinned female—a Mirialan—that couldn't be more than sixteen.

"General Dohet," Lyonvas nodded. "This is your latest Padawan, yes?"

"Indeed," the blindfolded man said. "This is Naywi."

"A pleasure to meet you," the young girl smiled.

"I didn't know Jedi would come here," Lyonvas said, looking at Asasha.

"I only asked for Jedi escort because of what was reported discovered," the Togruta explained. "Oh, speaking of which… where is the prisoner?"

The soldier led the three visitors towards the station's prison, passing by a red and green astromech droid. The droid didn't really stand out save for the silver flower insignia on its front. However, this was ignored, even as the droid began to follow them from a distance.

Eventually, the four arrived to see a human man dressed in brown and red clothing behind bars. The man had white skin, blonde hair, and a red bird talon tattoo on his face. "Captain Norman Quay," Asasha greeted. "It's not every day the Republic captures a pirate of your… reputation."

"Well, well," the man smiled at the Chancellor. "Aren't you a pretty lass? Please tell me you're the interrogator? I'd let you question me any time."

"Wasted no time trying to flirt with me," Asasha smiled. "Sorry, but I have a 'no dating ruthless pirate warlords' policy. Even if I wasn't the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic and had a reputation to maintain, I'm afraid you're just not my type, Mr. Quay. You're a little on the older side than how I like my men."

"Oh, I thought you were just the interrogator," Quay said.

"Don't worry, I'm still questioning you," Asasha corrected. "It's just I wanted the Jedi to confirm things." Quay looked at the two Jedi, actually shocked. "I'm not going to lie to you… if you had any plans of negotiating for amnesty or… well, sleeping with me, they're not going to happen. I CAN, however, promise you a lighter sentence for your cooperation. So, if you'd kindly answer all of my questions, I'd appreciate it."

"Darn, you're really cracking down on the criminals, aren't you?" Quay asked.

"Well, you're a known space pirate who terrorized several Republic transport ships, killed hundreds of people many of which were civilians, and once blew up a known Republic space station about this size," Asasha pointed out while the astromech droid finished catching up with her. "Oh, and you do have connections to the Hutt Cartel and smuggle spice. Be happy I'm considering lowering your sentence to 40 years in prison instead of life or execution. Now, I have questions about the particular cargo you had acquired prior to your ship's engine failure."

"I'm still trying to figure out how THAT happened," the pirate grumbled. "One minute, I was leaving that damn backwater planet with giant monsters of shadow as fast as I could with more than enough of those rare crystals to buy a planet, the next, my hyperdrive dies right next to a Republic patrol, my engines are shot, and I can't even get my ship's guns online. Next thing I know, I'm being boarded and I end up here."

"Crystals?" Nawyi spoke up. "Force crystals? You managed to find a planet beyond the known galaxy that had Force crystals?"

"Hold on, Jedi," Lyonvas spoke up. A crate was soon hauled over to them. "This was found on board the pirate's ship. Perhaps this was why you were brought here." The crate was opened, revealing rather large crystals stored inside.

"Now that is quite the rare sight," Asasha said. "A whole collection of Force crystals?"

"Yeah," Quay rolled his eyes. "I would have made a killing on the black market. And there are more where this came from, it's just the planet is crazy! Between the wildlife and the locals, I was lucky to get off the planet alive! Though I'm totally willing to sell these for my freedom."

"Not quite," Dohet spoke up, holding a green crystal in his hands. "I sense something within these crystals, an untapped power… but they are not the Force crystals we carry within our lightsabers." As if to emphasize his point, his lightsaber detached from his belt, and began floating in a bunch of metallic components, surrounding a green gem. A side-by-side comparison showed that the pirate's crystals looked almost similar to the crystal that used to be in Dohet's lightsaber.

"They look similar, Master," Naywi commented. "Um… no offense."

"None taken, my Padawan," Dohet smiled. "I may not have your eyes, but I see through the Force just like you. Do not trust your eyes, child. Trust in the Force. See with it, and you will discover the difference between these gems." Naywi closed her eyes, inhaled, and exhaled while concentrating on the crystals. She gasped.

"This gem… it's far more brittle, yet… malleable than an ordinary lightsaber crystal!" Naywi exclaimed. "The Force flows through it like a liquid, but the crystal retains its shape! You could use it for all sorts of things, more than just the gems we use for our lightsabers! But at the same time, applying some pressure to it and it would shatter. It's almost like these crystals are made up of—"

"Dust?" Dohet finished, reassembling his lightsaber with the Force… except this time around the foreign crystal. He turned it on, revealing a green blade that seemed to burn brighter than an ordinary lightsaber blade, only when he swung it, the blade formed a bit of a whip and nearly cracked against the floor. Dohet turned the blade off, and reassembled the blade around the regular crystal, which had a more controllable blade. "…So, you've been to Remnant, Mr. Quay?"

"Y-yeah," Quay answered. "I'm not denying that."

"I knew Remnant was involved in this," Asasha declared. "We're learning more and more about this mysterious world every day. Did you make contact with the sentient people?"

"What's it to you all?" Quay demanded.

"And these creatures you ran into," Dohet questioned. "They were called, 'Grimm', yes?"

"Um… yeah?"

"And the people there," the Jedi continued. "They're Hunters, aren't they? Force-users of remarkable power, hard to kill, but don't use lightsabers or blasters, and don't even have starships?"

"…How do you know all of this!?" the pirate demanded. "It's like you don't need me at all! Are you psychic? Are you reading my mind!?"

"No, it's just this is starting to sound very familiar," Dohet replied. "In fact, this is too familiar. Almost like the beginning of the Mandalorians' Great Hunt from twenty years ago." Asasha and Naywi both looked at him.

"I'm sorry, did you say 'twenty years ago'?" Asasha asked. "As in, 'the Jedi have known about this planet for twenty years and never _**once**_ considered sharing this information with the rest of the Republic so we have something to work with in terms of getting this planet in the Republic'?"

"I didn't know about this," Naywi answered the Chancellor before looking at her Master. "Master Dohet, what is going on?"

"…Something the Jedi and a select handful of people probably should have told the Senate but didn't as a major request to someone who surprised us all by saving several Republic lives in spite of her own past," the Jedi Master answered. "We honored her requests by sealing any known facts about Remnant—the planet she wanted hidden—from the galaxy. However, with her dead and our need for resources against the Empire…"

"Wait… is this who I think it is?" the Chancellor asked. "As in, that woman? She once saved Republic citizens?"

"She's also directly responsible for the fall of Darth Maxdi," Dohet added. "As well as indirectly the rise of Darth Crumma."

"Well, she couldn't be perfect," Asasha sighed. "Trading one tyrant for the other, but that's Sith." Looking at Quay, she asked, "So, what is Remnant like?"

"Nothing like the Republic expects," the pirate chuckled. "I barely got out alive, and those people can do things beyond an ordinary Jedi! They just don't know it. But their crystals are still valuable, right? So, about buying my freedom—"

"You smuggled potentially dangerous alien objects off a foreign and potentially hostile world outside of the jurisdiction of the Republic," Asasha answered with a scowl. "No. You are not buying your freedom, and until the Jedi have safely analyzed these crystals and made sure they are safe for the general population, they and the rest of your cargo are hereby seized by the Republic. However, I will make note of your cooperation." Quay frowned.

"Supreme Chancellor," Lyonvas said, "the rest of his cargo may contain more Remnant artifacts."

"Good, search his ship from top to bottom," Asasha suggested. "If he has anything that could give us an idea of how to approach the people of Remnant, let me know. In the meantime, prep him for transport to Coruscant. He'll stand trial for his crimes there." Turning to the Jedi, she asked, "Master Dohet, I know it steps beyond my boundaries to ask the Jedi this, but I would really appreciate for the sake of the Senate any and all information held about Remnant is released from the Jedi's libraries to our care."

"Perhaps Grand Master Shan will agree to this," Dohet said. "She was there when the incident in question occurred. However, you should contact the Republic Navy and SIS as well."

"The Republic Navy and SIS?" Asasha asked while the astromech droid began rolling away. "Who could have possibly known about this twenty years ago in those two areas?"

_**BOOM!**_

The whole station began shaking, and alarms blared to life. While everyone was nearly knocked off their feet, the droid stabled itself and begun rolling away even faster, beeping something akin to, roughly translated from Droid to Basic, "[Situation=screwed! R0=not dying here! R0=out!]"

"What was that!?" Asasha asked while several soldiers began running to battle stations. Another explosion occurred, and the Supreme Chancellor accidentally stumbled towards Lyonvas… accidentally pressing her chest against his face. To say the young soldier was blushing for a moment while the Togruta righted herself would be an understatement. He shook it off.

"We've come under fire!" Lyonvas answered after a moment. Looking towards a soldier, he yelled, "Someone get me a status report! Status report!"

"_Attention all personal,"_ a voice spoke up over the station's intercoms. _"The starboard side of Rishi Station has been badly damaged. An Imperial battle cruiser and small fighters just warped in from hyperspace and have begun bombarding the station. We're firing back, but our shields won't last long under this type of firepower!"_

"This type of firepower?" Lyonvas said while an older male soldier with short black hair, a burn on the right side of his face, a full cybernetic implant where his right eye used to be while his left eye was a dark brown, and a huge mini-gun on his back. "Commander Sturgas, what did he mean by that?"

"It's the _Plagued Phoenix,_ kid," Sturgas answered. "Darth Crumma's personal warship, which has wiped out several ships in fell swoops. The station's practically lost. I've already ordered the evacuation of civilian personal… including the Supreme Chancellor."

"Me?" Asasha asked.

"Well, we can't have him killing the Supreme Chancellor just because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time," Sturgas answered. "Lyonvas, get Chancellor Bi back on her ship."

"Sir?" Lyonvas asked, looking at the Togruta.

"Lieutenant, that's an order," Sturgas answered. "Now move, double time! I'll cover your escape when we're inevitably boarded." All of the sudden, another set of explosions rocked the station, followed by the sounds of blaster fire. "That was a tow cable allowing the Imps to board the station, wasn't it?"

"I'm sensing them," Dohet replied. "And Darth Crumma is here as well. They're on board the station. We may not have time to return to our ship before the Sith boarding party reaches us. We need a new escape route."

"That reminds me," Asasha answered, pulling a blaster from her side, "did you guys ever repair Captain Quay's ship?"

"Yeah it was an easy fix," Sturgas answered. "The sabotage was an inside job. We never caught the saboteur, but it was just enough that we caught Quay in… oh damn it, the saboteur could have been an Imperial spy that's loose on this station."

"We'll worry about that when we're gone," Naywi answered. "Until then, we should focus on getting the Chancellor to safety!"

"W-wait!" Quay asked. "What about me!?" The two Jedi looked at each other. "Look, I'm a great pilot! I can get you out of here!"

"Master, this man may be far from innocent, but the thought of leaving him to suffer at the hands of the Imperials is sickening," the Mirialan Padawan sighed. "Should we bring him along?"

"…Release this man into our custody for the time being," Dohet requested. "We'll see he still gets a trial."

"Very well," Sturgas said, pulling out a blaster pistol and shooting the door's controls. The cell opened, and Quay ran out… only to be grabbed by Sturgas. "Try anything, and you'll wish I left you for the Imps."

The group of six ran down the halls, spotting the astromech droid once again. Before they could follow the droid, the doors on either side of the hall exploded, and black and red clad soldiers and even black battle droids. Lyonvas drew his blaster rifle, aimed, and fired a few shots, winging an Imperial soldier. The two Jedi triggered their lightsabers, Naywi's being yellow, and the two began deflecting the Imperials' shots while Asasha and Sturgas provided cover fire. However, a few of the Republic soldiers who were joining the fight to protect the governor fell.

"Oh man, this is _**not **_worth a planet!" Quay complained.

"Less talking, more blasting!" Asasha said before ducking into cover. "I don't want to die, either, but I'm not afraid to fight if I have to!"

"…You're crazy," the pirate groaned, grabbing a dropped blaster rifle and shooting at the Imperial soldiers, scoring a few kills before the brief firefight ended. The six were still standing, but their entourage was reduced by about four members. "Okay, can we _**please**_ get to my ship!? Where did you put my ship!?"

"Hangar Bay 12," Sturgas said. "Come on! It's just an elevator ride down there!" Looking at the four dead soldiers, he sighed, "If I survive this, I will have a lot more condolence letters to write."

"We both will," Asasha said while Sturgas collected the ID Badges of the dead. "Come on."

After they rode down the elevator, they spotted some protocol droids unloading more crates of crystals and other contraband from Quay's ship. "Abort unloading!" Sturgas ordered. "We need to prep for launch! Skip the countdown, we have the Chancellor!"

"U-understood, Commander," the droid nodded, beginning to walk towards the hanger, leaving several crates of crystals unattended.

They once again spotted the astromech droid approaching the hangar, where a colossal brown and red freighter ship awaited them. "Hey, wait a minute," Quay spoke up. "That's the astromech droid I bought from some black-haired wench before I went to Remnant! Where the heck did you go!?"

"[R0=caught?]" the droid asked, stopping while the group approached.

"Droid, did you sabotage Quay's ship earlier?" Sturgas asked. "Because you weren't here before all of this started."

"[R0=saboteur,]" the droid confessed. "[Pirate=Dust crystal thief. Dust=Remnant safety. However, Dust=weapon on Remnant to battle Grimm. Dust=Republic and Imperial attraction to Remnant. Republic and Empire=trouble for Remnant. Therefore, pirate=trouble for Remnant safety.]"

"These crystals, Dust, are a weapon?" Asasha asked. The droid did the closest thing to a nod that it could do. "Why would you go through all of this trouble just to stop a pirate?"

"[Master=does not want trouble for Remnant. R0=saboteur to prevent pirate from causing trouble. Pirate=stopped. R0's mission=capture pirate, destroy Dust. R0=wanting to leave before station overrun with Imperials.]"

"Master?" Naywi asked. "Who is your Master?"

"It doesn't matter," Quay growled, pulling out his rifle and training it on R0. "It's the reason I'm stuck here in the first place. It's getting more than enough blaster rounds to its chassis that it explodes!" Dohet placed his hand on the rifle.

"The path of violence leads to self-destruction," the Jedi quipped.

"We don't have time for a Jedi analogy!" the pirate scowled.

"Okay, let me put it this way," Dohet replied. "You destroy the droid, none of us can salvage its memory processor to discover who its working for and you won't find out who is responsible for your capture so you could go after them. Since I doubt you gave it a memory wipe or used a restraining bolt on it since you purchased it, its real owner could have a vested interest in Remnant. We need the droid." Quay scowled, but put his blaster away.

"I better be able to shoot this thing later," the pirate muttered. Before anyone could debate it further, the lift behind them dinged, and from it emerged a particularly frightening sight. A colossal figure with red skin, spikes on his face, and a burn on his face drabbed in black metallic armor, wielding a red lightsaber in one of his metallic hands, emerged from the elevator, flanked by a pair of giant battle droids. The droids opened fire, picking off some of the remaining soldiers under Sturgas' command, while Crumma reached out to one unfortunate soul, and motioned his hand to him. The poor soldier was flung off her feet, and found herself impaled on Crumma's lightsaber. He casually flung her corpse to the side.

Asasha gasped. "Darth Crumma," she breathed while the Sith began his approach.

"I assume you're Chancellor Bi," the Sith asked, his voice having a metallic echo. "Your name is appropriate… for this will be our first and last meeting." Dohet and Sturgas stood in between the Sith Lord and the Chancellor, weapons drawn. "Though a Miraluka Jedi and a cyborg soldier changes my kill order, I'm honored to have volunteers to whet my blade with."

"Naywi, take the Supreme Chancellor, the droid, and the pirate and go!" Dohet ordered. "This is my fight!"

"But Master—!"

"Go!" Naywi frowned, but turned around, grabbed Asasha by the wrist, and led her towards the ship, followed by the astromech droid.

"Aw, how gutless," Crumma mocked.

"How is sending my Padawan away to protect the Chancellor gutless?" Dohet asked.

"Because suicide is the coward's way out," the Sith answered, his metallic voice sending a chill through the air.

"Go, Lyonvas!" the commander yelled, taking off his ID Badge and throwing it to the younger soldier. "Double time!" As Lyonvas headed for the ship, Sturgas then turned to Crumma, and opened fire.

The Sith began blocking the shots while the Jedi Master rushed forward. When Dohet raised his blade to strike, Crumma raised one of his mechanical hands upwards, sending the Jedi up to the ceiling, where he made an impact before falling to the ground. Meanwhile, he grabbed a nearby refueling pipeline with the Force, disconnected it, and used it to smack Sturgas. He turned his attention towards the retreating group, and ordered his droids to open fire. Naywi turned around, and began blocking the shots as best as she could with her lightsaber. R0 turned, spotted the Padawan trying her best while Lyonvas returned fire, and opened a compartment on its head, revealing a blaster port. It then opened fire, but the other battle droids were shielded from ordinary blaster shots. However, a second port opened, and began beeping.

Sturgas regained his footing while Dohet pushed off the ground. Sturgas pulled out a combat vibroknife while looking at the approaching Sith Lord. "You're joking," Crumma laughed. "You honestly think a knife is going to cut through my armor and kill me? You really have a death wish."

Sturgas lunged at the Sith, who blocked the knife with his lightsaber, and kneed the shoulder in the stomach before slamming a fist into his metallic eye. Now, for anyone, this would hurt. However, for Sturgas, this stung like hell since it cracked said metallic eye and the bones around it. While he staggered, Crumma shot out a hand grabbing the commander by the throat, and began to squeeze. Since Crumma's hands were practically machines, the pressure was more than a normal hand.

However, Dohet had gotten up, and was running towards the Sith. Crumma had to quickly stop strangling Sturgas to death to block Dohet's strike, and engaged in a lightsaber duel. As the two warriors clashed blades, Sturgas slowly regained his breath from the chokehold. However, Dohet may have been strong in the Force, but was not skilled enough to take on Crumma in a straight-up lightsaber duel, and it was showing with how fierce Crumma's swings were and how much ground Dohet was losing. Even when Sturgas got up and tried to join in, Crumma managed to fend off both.

Asasha looked at the situation, and gritted her sharp teeth. "This is bad…" Suddenly, she heard the ship engine start, and looked to see the ramp raising and the landing gear being retracted. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"_Uh, duh, space pirate!" _Quay called over the intercom. _"You know, Chancellor, if you weren't going to throw me in prison, we might have had a thing, you and I. But alas, you said it yourself, I'm not your type of man. I'm not dying for your little war! I'm getting out of here! Have fun being tortured or killed or whatever that guy had planned!"_

"Blast," Naywi breathed while Quay's ship broke through the barrier and flew off as the droids approached. She, R0, Lyonvas, and Asasha clung together in a tight semi-circle. "That was our only remaining escape route!" As if to make things worse, a squad of Imperial soldiers came into the hangar bay.

"We need a miracle now," Asasha agreed, pulling out her blaster.

Now, in any other story, the Supreme Chancellor's tale would probably end right here, being hopelessly gunned down while Crumma made short work of her defenders while Quay flat-out betrayed her. It would have been an absolute tragedy. Lucky for her, R0 had planned for something like this… or rather, R0's Master.

As from out of light speed, a gray and brown stock freighter warped in and broke through the barrier. Sure, the ship looked beaten up, but it had several guns trained on the two war droids, which the ship promptly destroyed due to overwhelming firepower. Everyone in the room stopped what they were about to do at the sight, except for R0, which then began to dance.

"[Master=here! R0=not going to be scrap! Crumma=dead man!]" the droid chirped, rolling towards the ship, which had yet to land.

"What is that?" Lyonvas asked, looking at the ship.

"I've heard the stories, but not too many people have seen it in person," Asasha breathed. "…The _Glass Eagle._ The ship of… she's not dead, is she?" She was answered by a red and black portal suddenly emerging between her and the Imperial troops.

"No, she isn't," Crumma scowled. "Men… fire upon whatever comes out of that portal!" Before they could, a yellow energy slash shot out, striking several soldiers down before a black haired woman clad in dark red wearing a white bird-shaped bone mask emerged from the portal, holding the handle of her blade near its admittedly large scabbard. Next to her was a white cloaked woman, with a gleam of silver in her eyes from her cloak.

"Keep the ship flying for another three minutes, Mint," the black-haired woman called in the portal. "R0, get in! We got this!"

"[Master and Bird-lady=heroes!]" the droid beeped, rolling towards the portal with nary a complaint. The portal slammed shut.

"So, it IS true," Dohet breathed. "You're alive."

"Oh, I died, it's just that I got better," the white cloaked woman replied. Looking at Crumma, she said, "We meet again, Crumma. I take it those are some new augmentations on your body? How many more implants can you have before you're no longer a Sith but a machine with Force powers?"

"I will silence your tongue, slave," the Sith growled. Crumma rushed towards the white cloaked woman, who quickly whipped out a lightsaber cylinder, summoning a silver-colored blade, blocking Crumma's red one. "Your pathetic master's blade? What happened to the one you used to use ten years ago when you should have died?"

"In a way, I did die," the woman answered. "Your actions took me away from my family, my friends, and my planet, which I vow to protect from monsters like you, Crumma. You killed that life. This is a new me, and a new me needed a different blade." She then lunged a hand out, forcing Crumma to sail through the air. "Raven! Death Flower!"

"Got it!" the masked woman nodded, drawing a red blade while the white-cloaked woman slammed a hand into the ground, her cloak fluttering upwards with white rose petals blowing upwards from her. What happened next shocked the Supreme Chancellor, the soldiers of both sides, Naywi, and Dohet. They, plus anything in the room not nailed down, began suddenly floating, almost as if someone turned off the station's artificial gravity. However, the masked woman, Raven, landed on a floating crate while the white cloaked woman tapped the heel of her boots, which seemed to have a magnetizing effect on the ground.

Raven then sliced a red portal near her while the white cloaked woman reached beneath her cloak, pulling out the parts of a blaster rifle, which seemed to assemble in her hands with the Force while she turned off her lightsaber. She then pulled out a grenade, and let it float up near the Imperial soldiers without pulling the detonator pin. When she aimed it at the grenade, one of the soldiers said what all of the others were thinking.

"This hardly seems fair."

"Yeah, it's not," the white cloaked woman answered, cocking her gun. "But hey, explosives are rarely ever fair."

_**BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMM!**_

The soldiers helpless scattered while Raven ducked into a portal. When she reappeared, she sliced a soldier, triggering a somewhat classic scream. "Wilhelm, no!" a soldier screamed before the while cloaked woman jumped up, and her shoes magnetized to a wall.

She spotted an incoming Imperial trooper, and drew back a fist. When the soldier realized what was about to happen, he placed his hands near his face. The woman naturally aimed lower. Needless to say, he was in absolute pain. And considering he was floating aimlessly in the air, he couldn't bend over.

What was worse is that she then used a Force Push to launch him straight towards his fellow troopers, who were being ricocheted by Raven's slashes and punches and the white cloaked woman used the Force to throw debris into the soldiers and was taking shots at the soldiers while walking on the wall. They were all scattered by the hit while Raven admired the chaos, grabbing on the remains of a destroyed droid.

Asasha, like the Imperial soldiers was floating rather helplessly in air. Naywi and Lyonvas were slightly better, barely clinging onto some wreckage, and the latter grabbed the Supreme Chancellor. Only Dohet, Sturgas, and Crumma regained their footing, each pushing off the wall. Crumma slashed through one of his own men, and lunged towards the white cloaked woman. She barely dodged and magnetized herself to the bottom of the _Glass Eagle._ Dohet then intercepted Crumma, creating a lightsaber clash in midair. Meanwhile, Sturgas came up and fired a few rounds at Crumma, who barely blocked those shots before clashing again with Dohet, who managed to grab a crate of Dust crystals and throw it with the Force. While Crumma slashed through the container, scattering Dust Crystals everywhere, Sturgas stabbed Crumma in the back of the right shoulder with his knife. Crumma grabbed Sturgas in return, and slammed him into Dohet.

"So, you have advanced your control over gravity so much you can create a small area where there is none?" Crumma asked the woman, who was aiming her rifle at him. He kicked Dohet and Sturgas back just in time to block a shot, but it still winged him in the already injured shoulder.

"Yes," the woman answered. "You may rule the Dark Side, Crumma, but I rule the most powerful Force there is… the force of gravity." Before he could go at her, she swung her hand up. Now, considering she was literally standing on the bottom of a starship and Crumma was in midair, he went straight to the ground. When he tried to push up, however, he found himself forced down. The woman kicked off the bottom of the starship, and landed not far from Crumma, and raised her arms.

"Do you think you can hold me for—!?"

_**WHOOOM!**_

"No," the woman answered as she raised her now lowered hands, looking at the colossal pile of debris where she buried him while everything and everyone else came down save for the _Glass Eagle._ Lyonvas cushioned Asasha's fall with his body, and Raven landed casually. Everyone else was not so lucky, and everyone who was still alive was groaning in pain. "I can't with this power, as it takes too much out of me. But that should slow you down." Turning to Asasha, she greeted, "So, you're the Supreme Chancellor? No offense, but aren't you a little young to be ruling most of the known galaxy?"

"Yes," the Togruta answered, dusting herself off. "Yes I am. But… you… you're…."

"Dead?" the woman answered, lowering her hood. She had black and red hair that was shoulder-length, and a faded brand on the left side of her face. "I was… I got better." She looked at Dohet, and nodded. "Dohet… you've grown up handsome. Shame I'm kind of taken, and Jedi have a 'no dating' policy."

"We've got to talk about that when we're done with all of this, by the way," Raven pointed out.

"Later," the redhead playfully scowled. Dohet shook his head.

"So, you really are alive. How?"

"Long story," the red-haired woman said. "All I ask about all of this is everyone agrees to stay away from my planet, and we won't have any problems." All of the sudden, the station began shaking. "Oh no… this station is beginning to fall apart! Either that or the shields have begun to finally fail. Nobody really should be here, anymore."

"And we don't have time to get to another ship," Naywi breathed. The red-haired woman looked at Raven, who sighed.

"Let's drop them off at Alderaan, because we aren't going anywhere NEAR Coruscant," Raven sighed. "Republic capital world with the Supreme Chancellor in tow is begging for a lot of questions we don't want or need to answer."

"I hate Alderaan, though," the redhead pouted. "Why not Mannan, Dantooine or Ord Mantell?"

"Nobody really goes to Mannan willingly because the Selkath are too isolationistic since people stopped relying on exclusively kolto for their own good, I'm banned from Dantooine because of that kath hound incident, and I am not risking being arrested on Ord Mantell. Tython?"

"You're joking, right?"

"Yes, I'm joking. The last place we're going to hide out from some super powerful Sith Armada is with the Jedi who just as sooner see us dead as the Empire."

"What are you two arguing about!?" Sturgas asked. "He's probably not dead on unconscious under there."

"We're trying to decide what Republic-affiliated world to drop you schmucks off on since if we pick the wrong one we'll most likely be arrested, but if you're too far from the core worlds, they'll think we kidnapped you," Raven answered. "Which we kind of are, if you think about it hard enough. But hey, with us, you're at least alive. But you have a point, we should leave before Crumma manages to get out of there or his ship blows up this station, or Mint can't hold the _Eagle _any more. Poor little Jawa, she is barely able to reach the controls for the ship."

"Naboo?" the redhead asked. "We don't really have problems with Naboo, right?"

"Well, Gungan territory may cause some problems, but otherwise, we're good," Raven shrugged. "Congratulations, you're going to Naboo, after which, you guys won't be our problem!" She then slashed a red portal.

"Are you seriously trying to save us?" Naywi breathed.

"Yes," the redhead answered. "I promise, no traps. Let's go!" The group began running towards the portal—

_**BOOM!**_

The pile of debris exploded and Crumma, bloody and bruised, stood up. He then threw his lightsaber towards the group… towards Naywi. Dohet pushed his Padawan out of the way—

And gasped in pain as the red lightsaber pierced his chest. Crumma used the Force to yank the lightsaber from Dohet's chest. Naywi looked at her Master, who collapsed on his knees while the redhead looked back at the Sith. "No…" the woman breathed.

"M…MASTER!" Naywi cried out. Dohet coughed in agony, but used the Force to push his student towards the portal, making her slide into it.

"S-Save her… Spirit of Roses," Dohet called. Crumma then yanked Dohet towards him, grabbed him by the neck, and snapped it in one swift motion. He dropped the Jedi Master's body on the ground.

"You… cannot save that pitiful world, slave," Crumma growled. Although judging by how he wheezed, the red-haired woman must have badly damaged his cybernetics. "And you… will not save your daughter!" The red-haired woman's eyes widened.

"…How did you know?" she asked. "How did you know I had a child!? I thought I kept that secret!"

"Your secrets are pathetic," Crumma taunted. "Just as you are a pathetic slave who should have learned to die in the fires of Korriban. You can never kill me… and soon, Remnant will fall, slave. And when it burns… I will have your child squealing in my grasp! Whether she is my apprentice or my slave, I don't know yet. But I will shape her, she will destroy the light!"

"Not while I breathe!" the woman scowled. Crumma charged, but the woman spotted a red Dust crystal nearby him, and aimed her blaster rifle at it. She pulled the trigger.

_**BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

"Ah, Dust," Raven giggled while Crumma fell backwards… on FIRE. "So adaptable, yet volatile. This is why you don't play with Dust without doing some required reading. Alright, while he's distracted, let's get out of here." She began to run towards the portal, as did everyone else… except for Sturgas. "Um, commander, we're kind of in a rush."

"I know, but I'm probably going down with this station," Sturgas answered, pulling out his gun. "And whatever you just did with Crumma, that isn't going to stop him forever."

"Right, his nanomachines give him a ridiculously accelerated healing rate to the point that putting him down is borderline impossible unless his body is destroyed," the redhead woman answered, pulling up her white hood. "But… are you sure?"

"I'll slow him down," Sturgas said. "Nice knowing you, for as brief of a time we did." The red-haired woman nodded before looking away, and running to the portal with all of the others save for Lyonvas. "Go, lieutenant… keep the Supreme Chancellor safe."

"…Yes sir," Lyonvas nodded before running inside the portal with the Chancellor beside him. The two human women were last before the portal shut, while Sturgas turned to face Crumma getting up. The Sith threw off the charred remains of his upper body armor, revealing a rather scarred torso with several metallic implants.

"Nobody who has seen these scars has survived," Crumma answered, grabbing his lightsaber. "You will not be leaving here alive, Commander."

"That we agree on," Sturgas answered, aiming his gun at Crumma. "But let's see if I can take you with me, Emperor." With a fierce roar as the _Glass Eagle_ began taking off, he opened fire.

* * *

_**Glass Eagle—**_**10:35**

When the two human women boarded the ship, R0 was near a distraught Naywi. "…For what it is worth," the red-haired woman said to the Mirialan, "I regret every single day that I didn't kill Crumma properly back then, and Dohet was a great man and a great Jedi. I'm truly sorry."

"...Master Dohet," Naywi cried. "I should have supported him. Now, he's gone…" The red-haired woman took her and embraced her in a hug, which shocked Naywi.

"Like I said, he was a good man," the red-haired woman said. "As was Commander Sturgas. Crumma already has a lot to answer for."

"We'll toast to Dohet and Sturgas when we're safely out of this Imperial shooting gallery," Raven said, sheathing her sword. "I'm gonna go to the quadlaser turrets, but I need a second gunner. Mint can't really shoot these things straight." Looking towards the cockpit, she said, "No offense to any Jawas present."

"[Mint not offended by bird lady,]" a Jawa spoke up. "[But red flower lady should take over!]"

"Oh, right, I should fly the ship," the red-haired woman remembered, running to take over while the Jawa got from the captain's chair.

"I'll shoot," Lyonvas said. "Take some of these Imp bastards out for what they did."

"Agreed," Raven grinned. "Come on." The two headed for the turbo-lift to the turrets.

"Mint, R0," the red-haired woman ordered, "make our guests comfortable until we hit the hyper-lanes. This is gonna suck until then."

The ship began flying around the colossal black warship while several small fighters began swarming them. Raven and Lyonvas were each taking shots at the _Glass Eagle's_ pursuers, making sure to destroy as many as they could. Of course, the _Eagle_ took some shots, but they escaped the assaulting shots of the _Plagued Phoenix. _The _Phoenix's _cannons themselves were assaulted by missile launches from the _Eagle,_ reducing their firing potential.

"Okay, hyperspace coordinates set," the red-haired woman said as another fighter ship was destroyed by Lyonvas. "Everybody hold on!" With a few button presses, the ship jumped to lightspeed, leaving behind the doomed Rishi station. As they were safely heading through hyperspace, she set the ship on autopilot, and sighed while entering the ship's galley where R0, Asasha, Naywi, and Mint were gathered. "…I can't believe it."

"[What wrong, red flower lady]?" Mint asked as she approached. "[We escaped scary Sith man, right?]"

"Yeah, we left Crumma in the dust and he'll need a few weeks to get his body and ship repaired before he can mount anything akin to an assault on Remnant," Raven said as she came down. "He just however revealed Summer's biggest secret to the Supreme Chancellor."

"Summer?" Naywi asked. "I thought the legends said that your name was—"

"It is, but I changed it to blend in with my new world," the red-haired woman, Summer, explained. "How are you holding up, little Jedi?" Naywi looked away. "…He recruited you to the Order, didn't he?"

"Yes," Naywi answered. "Even though we're supposed to control our emotion, I was thrilled when he became my Master. Now, he's gone… and it was my fault."

"He sacrificed himself for you, yes," Summer answered, "but because he cared for you. But if you fought alongside him, chances are you would have been struck down by Crumma as well. He has become incredibly ruthless, and he wouldn't have even given it a second thought about killing you even if you weren't a Jedi."

"And he knows about Remnant… and your child," Asasha spoke up. "…When did this happen?"

"Almost sixteen years ago," Summer said. "I don't know how Crumma found out… but I have to return to Remnant after dropping you off. My daughter is in jeopardy."

"Mine, too!" Raven added. "She lives there!"

"[Crumma=danger for Remnant,]" R0 beeped. "[Crumma=danger for Master and Bird-lady's daughters. Crumma=really needs to die.]"

"I think we can all agree that he is a monster," Asasha said. Turning to Summer and Raven, she said, "You know, you two are rather unexpected heroes. You're not Jedi, but you're not on Crumma's side or Sith… at least, you don't fight like a Sith would. What are you two, really?"

"Huntresses," Summer answered. "It's rather hard to differ from the Jedi, as we both dedicate our lives to fighting the darkness and protecting people, but Hunters use their emotions like Sith and admittedly unique weaponry for combat. We don't use the Force traditionally, but that gives us an advantage." She turned away from Asasha. "I'm going to see our estimated time for arrival on Naboo. If you could, Chancellor Bi, I'd appreciate it that you don't have us arrested upon arrival so our crew can refuel and restock."

"…Under normal circumstances, I'd be reluctant to do that," the Chancellor confessed. "However, you did just save my life and the lives of two defenders of the Republic. I suppose that's more than worth a pardon for any crimes you may have committed this day. Besides, I suppose had Quay actually helped us and not abandoned us to die on Rishi Station he would have been given some form of amnesty or at least a lighter sentence. You can have his reward. As for Quay, the moment I get back to Coruscant, his government bounty is being doubled. Desertion in the middle of a firefight, smuggling potential weapons of mass destruction off a foreign world, and he's technically responsible for a nearly successful assassination attempt on me, but that last one is a bit petty."

"[R0=reminded,]" the droid beeped. "[R0=responsible for pirate capture first time. R0=rewarded?]" Summer giggled.

"We're not bounty hunters anymore, R0," she smiled. "Though you will get a bit of a tune-up when we make port, I promise." She walked out of the galley to fly the ship. However, Naywi and Mint followed her up to the bridge, spotting her in the captain's chair. "Credit for your thoughts?"

"You knew my Master from twenty years ago," Naywi spoke up. "He called you… the Spirit of Roses?"

"Because of my past," Summer answered. "I'm basically the girl who haunts the Republic—especially the Jedi from over forty years ago—for their sins."

"The Jedi?" Naywi asked.

"Well, nobody's perfect," Summer explained while Naywi took a seat. "The Republic even less so. They have good ideals, but that doesn't excuse them from all of the corruption and people they've left to suffer. Sure, the Empire is worse, but it least got things DONE. That's partially why when my Master was killed about twenty-five years ago, I didn't fully defect to them. The other part is that the Jedi would never accept me and would sooner see my head parted from my neck themselves even if they don't admit it. Meanwhile, I can't go back to my old life in the other power because nobody likes a rogue element. I am that element."

"You were—"

"Most certainly not by choice," Summer replied to the unasked question. "Anyway… I guess I'm going to be a living ghost story now, because things once again just got personal, and now I'm going to have to haunt some people."

"[Red flower lady,]" Mint asked, "[are we going to your planet?]"

"I promised the Supreme Chancellor I'd return her to Republic territory," Summer said. "I'm keeping my promise. But then…" She pulled out a strange-looking datapad. Pressing a button, she smiled at a picture of a younger version of herself, using complexion to hide her brand, holding a small dark red-haired little girl with big silver eyes, a red cape, and a cookie in her mouth while a blonde girl barely taller than the toddler hugged her. "Then I'm scheduling a homecoming. See you soon, my little wolf. See you soon, Ruby."

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: And THAT is how I'm starting this. I was going to just take off in a sort-of non-canon ending to Volume 2 of RWBY, but I wanted to give you guys at least one fight scene already since 1) I feel like it's going to be RWBY tradition that the volume begins with a fight, and 2) to just introduce the main antagonist of this story: Darth Crumma. Yeah, he's a Sith Pureblood with plenty of cybernetic implants. Before you ask, no, he's not as smart or manipulative as fellow major villains Palpatine/Darth Sidious, Anakin/Darth Vader, Revan during his time as a Sith or insane fallen Jedi who wanted to kill Emperor Vitate (who also earns a spot on this list), Darth Bane, or Darth Traya. He's more of the "opportunistic, powerful, and overkill" kind of Sith... so basically think of him as a Sith Pureblood variation of Darth Malak, or at least a Sith Pureblood Freiza.

Honestly, if I didn't do this (and kill off my first Jedi in less than one chapter), you guys probably would have not seen him for about almost fifteen chapters. I'm not about to make you keep hearing about this guy only for him to not potentially live up to the hype. This combined with nanomachines that keep patching him up makes Crumma a tank, and he's not going to be stopped by overkill Force powers alone.

I will answer any and all questions later. For now, farewell, my subjects!


	2. Chapter 2: After the Breach

A/N: And now, we fast-forward to Volume 2 of RWBY's ending. You know, the clip where Yang is talking to the mysterious stranger, dubbed "Raven Branwen". From there, everything is officially non-canon to RWBY Volume 3. If you haven't seen Volume 2's ending, warning as there maybe spoilers.

* * *

**Vale City, Commercial District—Kingdom of Vale—Remnant—00:02—Two Weeks After the Battle of Rishi Station, and One Week after the Breach**

Yang looked at her black haired, red eyed, and red and black clad reflection standing across from her. She then shook her head. "This has to be a dream," she said. "Any moment, I'm going to wake up, and laugh this off. You were the person I've spent the past ten years looking for… but this can't be real. And you look so much like me."

"Yeah, I figured that would be your reaction," the reflection said. "You were too young when I left, only a baby. But a mother never forgets."

"I'm still not one hundred percent convinced you're real," Yang commented. "I mean, why now and why here?" The other woman sighed, and pinched Yang's left cheek, actually making it hurt. "Ow! Ow! Face…"

"Real enough, now?" the woman smiled, letting go of Yang's face. "You have inherited my looks, but your father's hair and jokes, I see. And judging by that fight I had to save you from, my temper and stubborn nature." Yang scowled.

"So I underestimated that little ice cream hench-woman of Torchwick's," Yang huffed.

"She destroyed you in that fight," Yang's mother bluntly said. "Had I not been there and had my reputation didn't precede me, you'd be dead, and we both know it. You let your anger get the best of you when she taunted you, and that led to your defeat. As someone with anger issues myself, you have to be calm with tricky opponents like her."

"Oh, who are YOU to lecture me on anger, Mom!?" Yang scowled, her eyes glowing as red as her mother's and her hair catching fire with her rage. "You left me, Dad, Summer, and Uncle Qrow for almost 18 years without so much as an explanation! Then, Summer married Dad, we had Ruby, and then Summer died when I was seven! Then Dad shut down, and told me about you, and I nearly got myself and Ruby killed when I chased a false lead on you! I then spent ten years of my life looking for you! You have a lot to answer for before you DARE come back into my life and talk about letting rage getting the better of me!"

"I know I do!" Yang's mother interrupted. "But I didn't come back to Remnant to save you and let you yell at me! So let me explain myself before you judge me!" Yang blinked at this statement, her hair cooling out and her eyes returning to their indigo hue.

"…Come back to Remnant?" Yang asked. "What do you mean 'come back to Remnant'?"

"Oh blast it," Yang's mother sighed. "I let that one out of the bag too soon." She then turned to Yang, and explained, "Okay, promise not freak the heck out when I explain why I left, because it sure wasn't my choice to leave you and Taiyang, Qrow, and Summer. Summer was my best friend and partner, Qrow my big brother by five minutes, and Taiyang was the man of my life… I really loved him, and I loved you. However, I was—and don't laugh—abducted by aliens shortly after you were born."

Now, Yang Xiao Lang may look and somewhat act like a stereotypical blonde teenager, but she was actually not an idiot. In fact, of the four members of Team RWBY, she actually had the second highest grades (the highest belonged to Weiss who prided herself on her knowledge, and the third being Ruby, if only because Blake had let her obsession with defeating Roman Torchwick take such a hold that she let her grades slip as well as her general health until Yang talked sense into her and she needed to catch back up to the others. That wasn't to say Ruby was an idiot, herself… it would be just that Blake was technically smarter than both Ruby and Yang, but Ruby was more dedicated to fighting than schoolwork and Blake had unfortunately developed an unhealthy relationship with stopping the White Fang by the time of midterms). She only looked the part and played it because it usually let her get a free sucker punch on the least suspecting enemies, and she took pride in her looks. However, there were moments when she was completely dumbfounded by something.

"What."

This was one such moment.

"Yeah, Summer did say she never told you or Ruby about her old Imperial 'friends' when we met up," the woman continued.

"What!?" Yang gasped.

"And I let that one slip, too," the older woman said, frustrated with herself. "I've got to stop." She turned to Yang, and asked, "When you all heard that Summer… wasn't coming back, did you by chance see her body?"

"No," Yang answered. "All we got was her rose bandolier, which Ruby has, her weapon, which Dad said neither of us are allowed to touch or use so we had to make our own and study under him and Uncle Qrow, and her favorite white cloak, torn up beyond repair, and blood all over it, red like roses. She was going to a place that while there were not too many Grimm for her final mission, it was still dangerous. Anything that could have prevented a body from being recovered could have happened."

"I can see why you would think that," Yang's mother said. "What Summer fought during her final mission on Remnant, Yang, was something you should be glad you have yet to encounter. But Summer was… is beyond what you can call 'human'. She may have been far more motherly and kinder than I was, but she is tough, too. Enduring even death, and coming back from it. It may have devastated all three of you when you, Taiyang, and your sister thought Summer died, Ruby especially. But I can assure you, Yang… Summer Rose is still alive." Yang starred in shock, surprised that not her own mother was here talking to her, but claiming Summer was alive.

"…How?" Yang asked.

"This is a lot to take in all at once, I know… but I wouldn't be here if not for her surviving that disastrous mission, even if it was barely. She was the reason I came back to Remnant… Summer and I have spent the past several years keeping ahead of some seriously bad guys, trying to keep Remnant—and you all especially—safe. When I was captured, I spent prisoner for a couple years by these guys before I escaped. However, thanks to her, I broke out. I'd tell you all of the exciting details of my escape and how I reunited with Summer, but I just remembered that I'm on a _very_ critical time limit, and in order to stop the bad guys I mentioned, I need to get moving."

"Wait," Yang yelled, "you just came back into my life, tell me you've been kidnapped by aliens, that Summer was alive and faked her brutal death, and now you're leaving again!? Why!?"

"Sorry, Yang," her mother said. "I don't have all the time on my hands that I'd like. However, Yang, I have a task for you, something that both Summer and I both need and desire you to do: protect Ruby for the next few days."

"Ruby?" Yang asked. "What does Ruby have to do with this?"

"Two reasons," Yang's mother said. "The first reason is that Summer, in both her past and present lives, made a whole mess of enemies who would want Ruby either with them or dead as revenge."

"Well, enemies do mean you've stood up for something," Yang shrugged. Yang's mother smirked, and raised her hand in a high five. Her blonde daughter gave her one, and both laughed. "So, who are these enemies I should look out for?" the blonde asked, growing serious.

"Oh, anyone wearing robes of the brown or black variety, holding silver cylinders that look like what Summer's weapon was, and can use something called 'the Force' as a Semblance that can manipulate so many things with their Aura than anything you can't even imagine them all," Yang's mother answered. "There are also armored soldiers wearing white uniforms with blue or orange stripes or black uniforms with red stripes. If you need specifics, call Qrow. He fought some of these 'Force' users before, and won using Fortune's Talon with both hands in scythe mode after three hours."

"Whoa," Yang breathed. If there was one thing about Qrow Branwen, it was that he was one of the most powerful and feared Huntsmen to ever come out of Patch. She knew how tough of a fight that must have been, since both Ruby and Uncle Qrow were both lefties... which made perfect sense that Qrow taught Ruby his weapon of choice, the gun-scythe. And her uncle preferred using his weapon in its buster sword mode one-handed. He only went two handed when he was desperate, angry, or both, when he didn't feel like or could not hold back. So for someone to push him that far, they must be really powerful.

"The second reason," Yang's mother continued, "is something that we aren't really sure of beyond an alien prophecy… but it looks like Ruby's soul, her unique brand of Aura, is the key to saving not just Remnant from utter destruction… but the entire galaxy. That or destroy it."

"What?" Yang asked. "Saving Remnant and the galaxy? Ruby? What's going on?" The older woman began to turn away, donning her Grimm bone mask once more. "Wait! Raven Branwen-Xiao Lang! Where are you going!?" Yang's mother, Raven, turned to face her daughter, pulling out her weapon.

"To back up your other mother," Raven answered before cutting the air behind her, opening a red portal. "No matter how powerful she is, she can't prepare to fight a Darth on her own!" With that, Raven entered the portal, leaving a stunned Yang kneeling in shock as she starred at the air in front of her.

"…What the heck have I gotten myself into?" Yang asked. She pulled out her Scroll, and looked at the message on it.

'_Yang, we need to talk. Come around _Dust by Dawn_ around midnight. Raven.'_

She then yawned, and began a slow walk towards her motorcycle. However, she and Raven both failed to make a spot check of one of the nearby buildings, where a group of four brown clad figures and two white armored soldiers looked down at her.

"So, it's true," one of the white-clad soldiers said in a female voice. She was aiming what appeared to be a sniper rifle at Yang getting on her bike. "Your so-called 'Spirit of Roses' is not only real, but she's apparently alive. But we have no idea where she is." Looking at Yang, she said, "And fiery Goldilocks here not only knows the Spirit, but the Spirit raised her. And the 'Raven of Nevermore' is apparently Goldilocks' mom."

"Are you thinking about taking the shot?" the other soldier, this one a male, asked. "I'm not sure whether or not we should, as she's still a kid."

"I just have the sniper rifle out to _**look,**_ Commander," the female soldier explained. "Nothing more. In fact, I've already placed a tracking device on her swoop bike a few moments before she went to see the Raven. She'll lead us right to Red Riding Hood." The captain chuckled at the woman's comments.

"By the stars, captain, you're hilarious," the male soldier smirked. "But you did a good job, soldier. I see why you were picked for Havoc Squad despite your status as a former smuggler."

"Someone has to keep up the wise cracks and fly the ship," she said, putting her sniper rifle away. She turned to the brown robed quartet joining them on the roof, and said, "So, what's the game plan, General? I sneak into this Beacon Academy we keep hearing about, pretend to be a big bad wolf, grab Red Riding Hood, and get out before anyone notices?"

"Not exactly," one of the taller brown robed individuals stated in a male voice. "I have seen some of the teachers of Beacon… they are not to be underestimated, and if this girl is being entrusted by the Raven of Nevermore to look after the daughter of the Spirit of Roses, then she is no doubt strong in the Force… or something like it."

"Master," one of the shorter cloaked people interrupted in a female voice, who couldn't be any older than seventeen. "What do you mean that 'she is strong in the Force or something like it'? I thought this world had several Force sensitive individuals."

"This world's population's connection to Force is strong, yes, my Padawan," the taller male replied. "However, the Force here is… altered, somehow. Like it surrounds and defends the people of this world, and how they use it in combating these creatures that are made of the purest of the Dark Side… and how it grants abilities beyond what we have seen in our fights with most Sith. Sith that aren't like HER."

"Sith that aren't like her?" the second short brown robed figure asked, this one a male.

"A powerful Sith that discovered abilities beyond what was expected of them, has an odd nature by Sith standards, and has faced and conquered death," the second tall figure, this one being female as well but had a cat-like growl in her voice. "I know her personally. She and Master Kombu have fought before, around twenty years ago, and she defeated him during the Tython Escape, yet spared his life… and if she's on this planet, I have a feeling that she will be fought again."

"I don't understand," the young female spoke up. "A powerful Sith… spared someone? Why?"

"I don't know," the male said. "But it is not your place to worry about. Instead, let us focus on the current mission… we need to find a way to bring the Daughter of the Spirit out to the open, and capture her or—if she is too dangerous to the galaxy—bring her to an end."

"But Master," the first girl protested, "surely we don't have to kill her."

"I understand your hesitation, Padawan," the older male said, "but if this daughter is anything like the Spirit, then she is not to be underestimated… for she may be the craftiest foe we have ever faced."

* * *

**Beacon Academy—Team RWBY Dorm—01:14**

Ruby was out like a light when Yang snuck back in the room. The Beowolf sleep mask on her eyes had barely moved. Yang silently looked at her younger sister, recalling her mom's words. She hoped Ruby could keep sleeping soundly at night... because Yang was not about to sleep without questions buzzing in her head.

"And where were you?" Blake asked. Looking at her side of the room, the black cat kunoichi was sitting up, getting some final studying in for a test that they had later on that day. "You've been gone for three hours. On the plus side, waiting for you allowed me to get some studying in."

"Three hours?" Yang asked, looking at the clock. "Oh… crap, it is late." She looked to see Ruby and Weiss were still both asleep. Zwei was out cold in the corner, too. It was just her and her partner. Since Blake's secret as a Faunus was exposed to her team, she reluctantly stopped wearing her bow to bed as long as they weren't with other people. However, the moment the sun went up, the bow was back on. So, Yang got to see Blake's ears twitch in mild annoyance.

"You know that I'm a light sleeper and can see in the dark, right?" Blake said. "So, if you're going to lie to me, fair warning, I can tell despite it being dark. So, what were you doing sneaking off campus on a school night?"

"…It's complicated," Yang answered. "I had a few questions I needed to ask someone… but now I have a whole lot more."

"Want to talk about it?" the Faunus asked.

"I'm not sure I should, right now," Yang said. "Because, honestly… I'm going to be running on a few hours less of beauty rest and you with that book brings up a point that we have a test in the morning."

"Are you going to talk about it eventually?" Blake asked.

"When I get all of my answers, yeah," the blonde brawler said, throwing off her jacket and crawling into bed.

"Not even going to change?" Blake said.

"Not in the mood," Yang sighed. As she closed her eyes, she hoped to make sense of things. "But if things get complicated, soon… my bad in advance." Blake looked at the brawler, who let out a snore. Blake groaned in mild frustration before closing her eyes, too.

'(Why do I get this sinking feeling that we just got dragged into another adventure just when we succeeded in catching Torchwick?)' Blake complained.

* * *

**Island of Patch—Branwen Farm—03:28**

A group of black clad soldiers lead by a black-cloaked man began walking towards the front of a house on a patch of farmland. "My lord," one of the soldiers spoke up, "we're still within a safe fragging range. There's still a chance that we can get the _Akk Bleeder _and blast the farmhouse to kingdom come while he's—"

"No," the cloaked man replied. "This is a special prey that I have come too far looking in a space backwater to leave up to chance. Besides… I want the personal honor of killing him myself."

"With all due respect, my lord," the soldier explained, "this is the Void Crow we're discussing! If this IS his exact location, just because he hasn't been seen in the galaxy for twenty years doesn't mean he has dulled his senses since the Great Hunt those Mandalorian savages engaged in. If anything, he's probably sharpened them. And if it ISN'T, we're about to waste time attacking an innocent civilian."

"Do I hear insubordination?" the cloaked man asked. "Because if it IS the Void Crow, then you are disobeying a direct order to attack him and several other targets, which is a death sentence. If it ISN'T the Void Crow, however, then the inhabitants are mere cannon fodder and they know too much anyway. Either way, I haven't killed something for a while, now, and I'm more than eager to start with you if you disobey my orders. Do you understand, Specialist?"

"Y-yes, my lord," the soldier nodded. The men stopped when the cloaked man raised a hand. They were right near the farm house.

"Come out, Qrow!" the black cloaked man said. "It's time to die!"

A single figure emerged from the house. It was another man wearing a tattered black cloak over a pair of black pajama pants and a green sleeveless undershirt. He had somewhat spiky hair, tanned skin, bright red eyes, and a bored expression on his face. In his right hand, he held a flask, which was casually put inside.

"If you're with the military, Vale's corrupt government officials who think I'm a nuisance despite the fact that I pay my taxes, the White Fang, the Republic, or the Empire, get off my property," the man who came from the farmhouse ordered. "If you're not familiar with geometry, that is approximately the surrounding 7 square kilometers of this farmhouse."

"I'm not leaving here without your head, Void Crow," the other dark cloaked man said as he moved in front of his soldier entourage. "Surrender quickly and tell me what I need to know, and your death will be swift and almost painless. Resist, and I will torture you, one hour for every minute of your pathetic attempt to delay the inevitable."

"With the Empire, I see," Qrow sighed. "This is going to take a lot longer than I wanted. Considering the fact that you didn't just frag my house, however, you're either the stupidest Sith I've ever met or have a really cruel Master… or god forbid both, so I'll be frank. Look, I really… _**really**_ don't want to have to kill anyone right now. It's the middle of the night, I am still too sober for this, I have a lecture tomorrow morning, and even though I'm still more than capable of ending every single one of you, I'm retired from being the Void Crow. I implore you to consider that for a moment before anyone points a gun. If you value your lives, turn around and leave… now."

"You are not talking your way out of this, Void Crow!" the Sith replied. "You are destined to die right here and now, especially now that I'm here. My Emperor, Darth Crumma, has dictated it."

"...So HE's in charge, now," Qrow scowled. "I've heard stories of your boss. The horrors he's caused. The numver of lives he's ruined. They have to be in the millions, if not the billions. How do you sleep at night working for that monster?"

"Very well," the Sith answered. "It's better working for him long enough to plan his demise than working against him from the beginning. He has dictated that his enemies will die a violent death, you included. Just like he has dictated that everyone you care for will suffer, and this world will either bow or burn! Just like how he demands that the daughter of his mortal enemy to be brought to him. He will make her scream and beg for the sweet embrace of death, and my Master will either grant her this death or remake her into his dark image, and it will be glorious! A pity, however, you will not live to see what will become of her!"

"You're going down a dangerous road, boy," the Void Crow said. "I'm going to give you one chance to walk away. Because if you are talking about whom I _**THINK**_ you're talking about, which is either _**ONE**_ of my nieces… then you will not like what happens next. Be happy you didn't go after Tai, first, because he wouldn't make it as _**QUICK **_as I intend to. You have until the count of three to stand down. One…"

"You cannot protect her," the Sith taunted.

"Two…"

"The fate of you, your friends, your family, and your world has been decided by Crumma… and his sentence is death!"

"Three." A shadow came from the Void Crow's feet, manifesting just as the Sith began reaching for a cylinder.

"And I will bring him your head, Void Crow—!"

_**SHING!**_

The Sith gasped as a large steel blade pierced his body. He then spotted the long black handle in the Void Crow's left hand. Sith then looked down in horror, spotting the large sword, as tall and wide as the Void Crow himself, had sheathed itself through his lower torso and out the other side. The Void Crow took a few steps forward, and the sword went all of the way through the dying Sith's body. He dropped the cylinder.

"…What…?" the Sith coughed out before going limp. The Imperial soldiers were stunned in silence.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the Void Crow said, bringing the corpse close enough to say into the dead Sith's ear, "I couldn't hear you over my absolute rage and your dying gasps for even threatening my family and Remnant. One alone is enough to piss me off, but both? You have to admit you signed your death warrant for being stupid enough to come within the range of my blade. Again, if you really wanted to kill me, you wouldn't bring a small armed battalion that shook me awake in the middle of the night. You would have used a bomb or a starship, or ANYTHING that would have put you as far from me when I'm vaporized in my drunken sleep as humanly possible. Now, you're dead, and I'm pissed. You picked the WRONG planet to declare war on… and the worst guy to drag out of retirement."

Qrow Branwen, the Void Crow, yanked the blade out and let the body fall. He looked at the shocked soldiers while flinging the blood on the ground. The sword then folded out into an even bigger scythe. "You all can still leave, you know." The soldiers instead pointed their guns towards him. "Well, I suppose compared to what the Empire will do to you, I'll make it quick."

Qrow started by sinking to the ground as the rounds of plasma burst flung towards him. He then turned into a blob of shadow before the wave of darkness rushed at the soldiers. He emerged right in the middle of them, taking the shape of a massive bird that, with a flap of his wings, blew the Imperials back a few feet before returning to normal. When Qrow returned to his natural shape, his weapon was at the ready, and slashed the first soldier across the chest. He then turned his weapon facing another soldier, and pulled a trigger, which caused several Dust bullets to fly out from the top part of the scythe's handle. Considering this was fire-type Dust, these rounds caused the soldier's armor to burst into flames. When his opponents tried to shoot him, Qrow vanished in the shadows again. When he appeared again, it was behind a soldier. He slashed the guy, and rushed another, continuing his assault with hit-and-run tactics. The battle was swift but horrible.

When the massacre was over, only one soldier remained alive: the Specialist who suggested that they just blew up the farm and not taken Qrow head on. Sure, he was battered, but at least he was alive. Qrow slung his weapon over his shoulder, and held the soldier by his neck with his left hand. "Did you really think that you could come to _**my**_ planet after twenty years, threaten _**my**_ family, try to _**kill me**_ on my family's personal farm, go after my nieces… and. Get. Away. With. It?"

"You… you're a demon," the soldier choked out.

"You chose to provoke the monster," Qrow answered, his arm turning into a physical shadow before choke-slamming the soldier into the ground. The soldier was gasping in agony as Qrow's arm returned to normal. He then casually put his scythe's blade to the armored chest. "Do you have a name?"

"…Specialist Evan Herbert," the man breathed.

"Alright, Specialist Herbert," Qrow said. "Now, you know who I am, and I know who you are. Now, something I'm not for that your superiors are probably for is torture. So, I'm going to tell you straight-up that I don't plan to torture you. Instead, I'm going to ask you a few questions. Think of it like a lie detector test. If you lie to me, you will die… but I won't be the one who kills you, if you catch my drift. Your bosses tend to be the kind who treats failure as a death sentence, and since you and your allies just failed to kill me, they'll probably maim you in a terrible way, and just for good measure, make your family suffer while forcing you to watch before allowing you the sweet embrace of death. Or you can cooperate with me, tell me and a few friends everything we'll want to know, and I'll see you get a nice, comfortable cell. You'll probably spend several years there and you'll never see anyone you know and love in the Empire ever again… but at least you'll be still alive and fed, and your loved ones will be safe. So, what's it gonna be?"

"…O…okay," Herbert breathed. Qrow nodded shot out a shadow from his hand, which turned into a colossal giant black bird that pinned Herbert down. Qrow walked over to the first man he killed, and grabbed a silver cylinder from the man's side.

"Very good," Qrow said. "Now, I need to burn these bodies, get dressed, make a few calls, and get you ready for our trip."

"A trip?" Herbert breathed.

"Yep," Qrow answered. "You wanted to see my nieces, right? Well, you may not really see them… but we are going to Beacon. Now where's your ship?"

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: Now, I'm going to be frank. Saying Raven is Yang's mom is not too much of a stretch.

First off, if the stinger to Volume 2 is not a dream sequence and Yang really did go confront this woman, the fact that she looks just like Yang but with darker hair means there is some form of family resemblance. Who knows, Yang could have inherited the good looks of her mom, and while Ruby and Yang don't have similar hair color (just similar jokester tendencies and excitability), Yang could have inherited her father's hair color. This could somewhat confirm that Taiyang is a blonde unless that Yang dyes her hair (which is unlikely because she looks more natural and one of her known berserk buttons is anyone touching her hair).

Second, Raven's last name is confirmed as "Branwen". Qrow's surname is Branwen as well, and both of their given names have a bird motif. This means that provided Ruby and Yang's stories about Qrow being their uncle, whether biological or honorary, are true, then this woman is more than likely related to Qrow somehow. It could be his sister, it could be his daughter, who knows for real. And RWBY is the last world where similar surnames can be written off as a coincidence. Also, it could be a family trait of the Branwen clan to name their children after aviary creatures with the obligatory color motif... speaking of which, with the exception of Quay, Dohet, Sturgas, and Lyonvas, I've been TRYING to keep up with RWBY's color motif for most of these characters but at the same time the Star Wars' sci-fi opera motif. It's harder than it looks.

Third, a small freeze-frame bonus for the Yellow trailer of Volume 1. In Volume 2's episode "Burning the Candle", Yang schedules a surprise intervention with Blake trying to get Blake to relax for once (since she knew what it's like to get yourself nearly killed by obsession over a personal mission). She mentions that she is looking for her mother still, but has learned to have fun and not let it get the better of her. Yang's primary reason for going to Junior's club? She was somewhat pursuing an underworld lead. A brief moment shows that she has a picture of a black-haired woman on her Scroll. One might think she's hunting Blake as part of a bounty (as I'm sure Huntresses get missions that involve bounty hunting and Blake WAS part of a terrorist organization prior to Beacon, so everyone's favorite cat Faunus could have an unclaimed bounty on her). However, it could also be an outdated picture of Raven, since the last known picture Yang could have of her mother would be about around sixteen or seventeen years old by now. Junior just didn't have info for her, and Yang took out his entire club because she was either bored or she knew they'd attack her anyway.

Fourth, and most importantly, Raven's actions in the episode "No Brakes". Right before Neo could kill Yang (making Neo the closest a villain got to killing a protagonist besides the White Fang Lieutenant did to Weiss) Raven appears out of nowhere and Neo instantly retreats. According to Yang, her and Ruby's family were all experienced Huntsmen that were on the same team (Qrow, Taiyang, Summer, and Yang's mom). That alone is pretty neat, but if you think back to the series premiere, a professional Huntress is one of the last things you want after you. Torchwick himself is more than willing to take on all four members of Team RWBY by himself because they're rookies compared to the likes of Goodwitch, who he immediately lets Cinder handle. Judging by how quickly Neo retreats, Raven is just in the same skill level as a professional Huntress AND in Mama Bear mode. If she is Yang's mom, then Neo was having her minor freak-out because Neo was caught about to kill a girl in the prescence of the girl's incredibly powerful MOTHER who she just pissed off. Even if Raven wears a Grimm Mask and could be possibly aligned with the White Fang, she'd probably pick her daughter over the White Fang. That, or she wears their masks as an intimidation method or an infiltration.

I hope that if Rooster Teeth does let Raven be Yang's mom, they don't go the "archnemesis mom" approach for Raven.

With that, let's move onto another character. Qrow. Had Monty Oum not passed away, he probably would have been set to voice Qrow on top of Ren. Since everyone who is-for some unknown reason-working with Ozpin have a _Wizard of Oz_ motif (Ozpin is the Wizard, Goodwitch has it in her name, and Ironwood represents the Tin Man, Ruby and Zwei have the Dorthy and Toto theme somewhat), Qrow would be perfect for the Scarecrow. So, take Monty Oum's regular design, make him a farmer as his dayjob (which would explain why he uses a weapon that was originally supposed to be a farming tool) besides teaching at Signal and hunting, and give him an absolutely terrifying semblance of making and controlling SHADOWS, and this guy would be a badass.

Now, for the one review!

**JCtheWriterr:** Well, thanks for the vote of confidence!

Well, that is all I have for now! Ruby finally gets to begin doing stuff, soon! Farewell, my subjects!


	3. Chapter 3: Trip Downtown

A/N: May the 4th be with you! Unless you are reading this after May 4th, in which case... well, have another chapter of _Soul of Remnant _while I remove the foot planted in my mouth.

* * *

**The _Silver Dragoon_—Orbit Above Remnant—10:04**

The Imperial flagship hovered above the planet. While the crew went about their business, a single woman in her mid 50s stared down at the planet. She was wearing the uniform of Imperial military, specifically that of a Moff. Her brown hair, beginning to turn gray, stuck from the back of her hat in a proper bun, and her teal eyes stared curiously at the planet below.

_**BEEP!**_

She looked at the datapad that hung from her hip, and pulled it out. She then smirked before putting it away.

"And what exactly is that?" a voice asked, startling the Moff. She looked to see a woman about 5'6"—barely shorter than the Moff who stood at 5'7"—with a considerable bust hidden beneath her red and gray robes, black shoulder-length hair, yellow eyes, and a look of annoyance on her face. She was in her late 30s, and had a beautiful but deadly look to her.

"Oh, Darth Mel," the Moff gasped. "I didn't see you come in. Anyway, my lord... it's about your apprentice, Coparo Thul—"

"The idiot got himself killed by one of the targets we need gone to secure our foothold on Remnant, didn't he?" Mel asked in a blunt tone. "Furthermore, you just earned the ship-wide bet of Credits about how long before that Thul brat got himself impaled, torn apart, shot in the face, or otherwise became a bloody smear on Remnant's surface because he mouthed off instead of just going for a practical kill. And he took an entire platoon of scared but potentially useful soldiers with him because they feared what I would do to them if they dared to come back without a success, which took a medium-sized ship that we could have used with him."

"...If I say 'yes' to all accounts," the Moff asked, "will you let **me** live?"

"Which one killed him?"

"Before his vitals flatlined, he reported going after the Void Crow."

"Bodies cremated to conceal the evidence save for the brat's lightsaber, and the non-combatant crew more than likely being held hostage by the Void Crow who has no doubt hijacked the ship?"

"Most likely, my lord."

Now, most Sith Lords would answer that with either a Force Choke, a lightsaber stab, Force Lightning, or a combination of the three on the bearer of bad news. Reporting failure to a Sith Lord was the fastest way to die, after all. Mel instead let out a frustrated groan.

"If only he wasn't the only apprentice of his group that survived Crumma's 'changes' to how we train acolytes after the destruction of the Korriban Academy twenty years ago!" Mel complained. "I wouldn't be going through apprentices like copy paper because none of them bother listening to me long enough to understand not to pick a fight you haven't trained for! At least with slave acolytes, they knew how to adhere to a direction and some of them were genuinely more cunning than their noble born counterparts! Now, there are no slave-born Sith because Crumma kills them every time a slave is found to be Force-sensitive, and I'm stuck with otherwise bloodthirsty rejects who don't plan beyond 'attack, attack, attack', and get themselves killed because they don't think outside the box! If I don't actually produce results, I'll be the laughing stock of the Dark Council right before they kill me!" She groaned while sitting down in a nearby chair.

"My lord, are you alright?" the Moff asked.

"...Why do we deal with being Crumma's lapdogs, Moff Grey?" Mel asked. "He's a terrible Emperor and if not for his cybernetic enhancements and how powerful he is that not even two Dark Councils working together could stop him because he somehow absorbed their hatred and turned it against them all and leaves their corpses hanging from the Imperial palace in Kaas City for days as an example of what happens to those who defy the Emperor, someone else more competent about strategy other than 'be stronger than the other guy' or 'keep attacking until they're dead no matter how many men and women of ours die' would be calling the shots. Al least with Emperors Kallig and Maxdi, they got things done pragmatically and efficiently... and then, the Great Hunt 20 years ago, and Maxdi dies thanks to the Mandalorians being irked too many times, and then Crumma shows up, kills the entire Dark Council of that generation, declares himself Emperor, and we're stuck working for a genuine madman with a vendetta the size of a dwarf galaxy!" She sighed in frustration. "If not for lack of already trying, I'd say 'I'm going to kill whoever got rid of Maxdi but didn't take the throne'. Who assassinates the Emperor and NOT take his throne if they proved worthy enough to best him!?" Looking at Remnant, she sighed, "And now, here we are... forced to deal with a mad Emperor, and I'm soon going to be destroyed by the Dark Council."

"With all due respect, my Lord," Moff Gwencas Grey spoke up, "we're the sphere of Expansion and Diplomacy, not proper military, and we just arrived in the planet's orbit about two days ago."

"I know," Mel said, "but Remnant is literally my last chance to make a lasting impression that I _**deserve**_ to be on the Dark Council. We fail here, and I won't just destroy my chances of gaining my seat on the Dark Council... no, I get us all killed. Whether it's the Dark Council or the usurper Emperor, we're all dead since Darth Crumma is expecting Remnant to be ready to fall to the Empire and the Spirit of Roses' daughter to be captured within the course of the next week... if I don't have at least something by next Sunday, I just led this entire ship's crew to their deaths! And thanks to the Thul brat being gung-ho about fighting someone who twenty years ago devastated much of the Empire while he was not even a Lord of the Sith, I lost an entire platoon and I'm no closer to finding the little girl than I was two days ago! I'm surprised I haven't had to put down a mutiny, yet! Everyone on this ship knows that if we don't have something, we will never see Dromund Kaas again!"

"Shall I send another squad with one of your other apprentices?" Grey offered. "Perhaps Brian Redwall? He's... with all due respect, competent. And Cipher 13 has been working on the planet for some time, now."

"No," Mel answered. "I'm not getting my men or apprentices repeatedly killed by throwing them down there with just a description of who they're going after, what I know about them thanks to Imperial Intelligence being kind enough to share, and recommended strategies to deal with them. Heck, we don't even have any information on the Spirit of Roses' daughter."

"But we have Cipher 13," Grey pointed out. Mel looked at her. "I'll contact him, see if he can find information."

"Yes, that will do!" Mel grinned. "Cipher 13 has been on the planet longer than anyone I know. He'll find something about the Spirit of Roses' daughter! But we need more about the planet! You know what? Screw it. Just send down probes to the planet, preferably cloaked, scatter them around the globe to see if we can find SOMETHING that will appease Darth Crumma long enough for us to find a way to survive this mess. As far as I'm concerned, the Spirit of Roses' daughter could be ANYWHERE on Remnant!"

* * *

**Beacon Academy, Grimm Studies Class/Team RWBY Dorm—Kingdom of Vale—16:00**

The ringing of the bell saved Ruby of the dull task of trying to stay awake from listening to her Grimm Studies teacher babble on about his glory days. Sure, Prof. Port meant well by teaching them effective ways of getting around particularly tough monsters' defenses and Ruby tried to pay attention (key word being "tried"), but he got off on the most ridiculously long tangents that her short attention span just couldn't help but try to find something she could do to keep awake long enough to actually pass the class. Sure, her Semblance allowed her to speed-read and work quickly on homework, but Peter Port was so boring as a teacher.

"Oh, it looks like the final bell," Prof. Port chuckled as the students began gathering their materials. "Alright, class, have a great weekend. But as a friendly reminder: your final essays are due next week!" Of the many confused students who stopped dead in her tracks, Ruby was the most iconic, much to the frustration of Weiss (who was sitting next to her) and curiosity of Blake while Yang yawned. "I want eight solid pages of a well researched Grimm on my desk the first thing Friday!"

"Essay?" Ruby asked aloud. "Due next week?"

"Well yes," Port answered. "Surely you all have been keeping up with the syllabus I have provided for you on your Scrolls at the start of the semester. I adhere to it strongly, so the dates should be all right." Ruby curiously pulled out her Scroll, and looked up the Grimm Studies 102 schedule. Sure enough, the final essay was due a week from today. A lot of the students did the same. "…I see," Port said. "Well, not too much to worry about. Surely, after your first exciting year at Beacon Academy, you all have seen and killed more than enough Grimm to pick one type to study, especially with the Breach that happened last week. Reread the guidelines of the essay, and remember: eight pages, double-spaced, next Friday!"

_**WHOOSH!**_

A trail of rose petals fluttered down where Ruby used to be, and several students tumbled out of the way of the fastest girl in class. Most other students save for surprisingly all of Team JNPR and the rest of Team RWBY soon followed in a mini-stampede out of the lecture hall.

Weiss slapped her face, and Blake sighed. "I should have known Ruby forgot that essay," Weiss said. "Glad you and I did it early last semester, Blake."

"Yeah, that was a good call," Blake agreed. "Still, we should check on her."

"Good idea," Yang said, stretching her arms. "Ruby's going to need to calm down."

"Why aren't you panicking, Miss 'I didn't sleep well'?" Weiss said.

"I got it done during the planning for the dance since all I was really doing was the heavy lifting," Yang confessed. Looking at Jaune, who was looking at the trail of rose petals in concern, she asked, "You okay, Vomit Boy?"

"Yeah," Jaune answered. "Pyrrha and Ren helped me and Nora take care of it before last week's Breach."

"I figured it would help to keep Nora focused," Ren said, looking at the energetic hammer wielder who was doodling a chalk picture of her smacking an Ursa on the head with said hammer on the board.

"But what about Ruby?" Pyrrha asked. "Should we help her find a Grimm to study? I think she could do one on the Nevermore, Ursa, or Beowolf, as she's used to killing those."

"She is, isn't she?" Blake said. "But the Beowolf is probably going to be too easy for Ruby's tastes, and just about everyone else who delayed until the last minute is going to be doing that or an Ursa."

"She's lucky that she's our leader and my partner," Weiss groaned. "Otherwise, I would say she's on her own for this one. Come on; let's find out where she went." As she led of the seven through the halls of Beacon, she turned to Yang, and pointed out, "You know, you've been awfully quiet, today. Care to explain why?"

"Sorry," Yang yawned. "I just had a rough time sleeping for the past few days, as I needed to think about the Breach."

"Your fight with Torchwick's minion and mysterious savior?" Blake asked. "…You know, we can always ask him where he found that girl."

"Can't," Yang shook her head. "Ironwood is still interrogating him about the Breach. I'll get that little ice cream cone next time, anyway. However, that's not what I'm worried about."

"You mean that Grimm masked swordswoman you told us about?" Weiss asked. "She didn't seem like a Faunus by your description, so she's not a member of the White Fang…" Blake scowled at the remark. "Sorry, but most of them wear the Grimm masks."

"I guess that can be forgiven," Blake said with her ribbon twitching. "Still, I would recall a member of the White Fang that powerful and there is nobody that fits her description."

"So what was she doing on their train?" Pyrrha interrupted. "I know you all have made catching Torchwick and defeating the White Fang your business and not ours, even though we're totally willing to back you girls up, but I'm curious as to what truly happened on your first mission."

"Yeah!" Nora said, finally jumping into the conversation. "You guys always have all the cool adventures! I mean, sure, we got in on the last one when we helped stop the Grimm from destroying all of Vale, but we never get to stop the real bad guys like you do! You're all 'swoosh', 'stab', 'swing', and 'blam', and they're all 'Oh no! It's Team RWBY!', and I think WE should add, 'slash', 'bam', 'shank', and 'wham' to make them say, 'Even worse! It's Team JNPR!', and then they'd run!"

"I'd rather we didn't have to face the real bad guys so soon, Nora," Ren interrupted before the small Viking could get talking. "It was THEIR choice to start getting involved in dealing with thieves and extremists. We need to keep in mind that we're all still first year Hunters in-training. We shouldn't even be talking about this, let alone getting involved in fighting anything bigger than Grimm."

"And yet, we are!" Nora playfully argued, tapping Ren on the nose. He rolled his eyes with a smile on his face. Blake, meanwhile, pulled up next to Yang.

"If your exhaustion has anything to do with your late-night venture, you can tell me what happened," Blake whispered.

"It is," Yang whispered back. "But I want to be sure before I jump to conclusions. Last time I dug deep into a lead of mine... I nearly got myself and Ruby killed." She looked ahead, spotting Ruby's trail leading them towards the library… before a second trail of rose petals pointed out of it.

"Man, she wasted no time at all," Jaune said. "Should I be worried even more?"

"This isn't the first time she's nearly forgotten an assignment," Yang explained. "She's really quick at studying, though, so she'll have some materials… but she still will need a little help. After big study binges and assignment work… she crashes hard."

"So, our room?" Blake asked. One brisk walk to their dorms, and they saw Ruby frantically flipping through the pages of one of… many Grimm-related books. Already several discarded books were in a pile, and Zwei was poking his head out of them.

"Oh man, why isn't it in here!?" she questioned, dropping the book and grabbing the next one. She quickly flipped through it, and growled in frustration before dropping it. "You'd think someone would have studied it, but why am I not finding it!"

"Uh, you okay, sis?" Yang asked, trying to stop Ruby's freak-out. A whine from Zwei told her otherwise. The sour looks the other six gave her went ignored as Yang walked in and placed her hand on Ruby's shoulder. "Hey, slow down and breathe a little, Rubes. We're not going to let you fail this. We'll help you pick out a Grimm. We have seven days to get this done, so it shouldn't be too bad if you focus on it."

"Oh, I'm not too worried about picking out a Grimm," Ruby said, finally looking up. "It's just that… the one I want to do, I can't really name it. It's big, it has tusks, and it moves in a herd, has a long nose…"

"That's not a Grimm I've heard of," Weiss said.

"That's exactly why I'm looking through every single Grimm book I found in the library!" Ruby threw up her hands and slammed her head on the team's desk.

"No, what I'm saying is where did you see this Grimm?" Weiss finished. "Most of them are territorial to specific regions of Remnant. If I had a location, I could probably help you."

"It was a brief moment while we were at Mountain Glenn," Ruby answered. "They were far from the ruins of the colony, and stalked the borders of the kingdom. Dr. Oobleck said they were waiting for something…" She shot up, a wide grin on her face. "Wait, Dr. Oobleck would know!"

"Isn't he busy working on some type of thesis about Mountain Glenn this weekend?" Blake asked. Ruby pouted in response.

"Darn it," Ruby groaned. "I really wanted to research that Grimm…"

"Perhaps that's because the library doesn't expect most students to encounter the Goliaths during their first two years here at Beacon," a female voice spoke up. The eight plus Zwei looked up in time to see Ruby's borrowed books being magically restored from a pile to a neat stack, and a certain blonde teacher responsible. "Children."

"Oh, Prof. Goodwitch," Ruby said. "For a minute, there, I thought Prof. Ozpin would be there."

Goodwitch explained, "I'm afraid Prof. Ozpin has left for the day to discuss the Breach with an old friend of his, and has left Ironwood and I in charge of the Academy in the meantime. Not that I like this situation either. However, the reason I'm here is because several complaints of you snatching up half of the school library's text on the multiple species of Grimm, running through the halls at sonic boom speed, and noise violations. Judging by the pile of books, I'd say the rumors weren't unfounded."

"Sorry about the mess…" Ruby awkwardly smiled, hoping that she would go easy on her this time.

"Miss Rose," Goodwitch said, "you really should be more careful and considerate of school property in the future… as well as staying organized." Changing her tone, she said, "So, you never mentioned in your official mission report of fighting a Goliath."

"A Goliath?" Ruby asked. "Is that what those monsters Dr. Oobleck and I saw were?"

"Yes," Goodwitch said. "Now, Goliaths are not commonly encountered by first year students for the obvious reason that we usually restrict their locations to more experienced combat teams due to the danger they pose if provoked… one can kill an entire experienced team on their own, so facing an entire herd is suicide. And keep in mind this is only when they are _provoked._ If a Goliath, especially an old and powerful one, ever chooses to attack a settlement of man… then that settlement is already dead. The fact that you saw one, Miss Rose, is amazing yet highly dangerous."

"Whoa," Ruby breathed. "I guess Dr. Oobleck was right to stop me from shooting one. Although I wonder what Prof. Port would say about my paper if I did this on Goliaths?"

"Please don't get that man on a tangent," Goodwitch pleaded. "Anyway, I see you're set on this. However, the school's library would not really access you to the more advanced Grimm studies books. Perhaps you'll need to take your education outside of Beacon for this lesson. Still, I wish you the best… but in all seriousness, don't run in the halls, and I expect these books returned in the next twenty-four hours, as you're far past the designated check-out limit on books for the month." Goodwitch then walked away, leaving the eight kids to reflect.

"I'm sure I can find something in Vale at a bookstore or looking it up in a cyber-café," Ruby shrugged. "Before this whole 'paper' thing, I was going to go to _Dust by Dawn_, and browse the weapon upgrades magazines for things I can do to improve Crescent Rose, anyway." With a rather shy twiddle of her fingers, she asked, "Do you guys wanna come with me…?"

"Upgrades, really?" Weiss asked with a roll of her eyes. "You need a life outside of fighting monsters, terrorists, and your sweet tooth." Ruby just stuck her tongue out in response, while the white-haired girl just ignored. Looking in her closet, she spotted—alongside her assortment of outfits—that her Dust supply was running low again. "Well, I suppose I can come with you. My monthly supply of Dust from Atlas hasn't arrived yet, and that shop is the only place that sells a high quality of Dust so late, anyway."

"I guess I can help browse Vale's bookstores with you," Blake offered. "There's something I really want to pick up, there…"

"I'm good for hanging out this weekend, anyway," Yang shrugged. "Besides, we should probably walk Zwei again. Let's go." Zwei yipped, holding up his leash and wagging his tail.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Ruby said, hugging all three of her teammates. "Alright, let's get changed."

"And that's our cue to leave," Pyrrha said, grabbing Jaune and Ren. "Besides, Jaune and I have something to do…"

"Huh?" Jaune asked. Pyrrha raised an eyebrow, and then Jaune grinned. "Oh… right. Bye, girls."

"Aw, can't we go with them?" Nora asked. "What if something exciting happens again?"

"Nora," Ren said, "if you come on, I'll make you pancakes for breakfast tomorrow."

"Sold!" the little Viking cheered, grabbing Ren and dragging him out. "Bye!" Pyrrha did the same with Jaune, leaving Team RWBY to change.

* * *

**Vale City, Commercial District—17:25**

That afternoon, after changing into their usual attire, the four members of Team RWBY stepped off their airship into the commercial district of Vale. The quartet of girls noticed that one of the more popular bookstores, _Tukson's Book Trade,_ was still closed after the gruesome murder of the owner, a Faunus named Tukson. It was barely noticeable, but Blake hugged herself at the sight of the abandoned shop gathering dust.

Luckily, another bookstore wasn't too far from there. Of course, Zwei couldn't go in, so Yang and Weiss opted to stay outside, Weiss actually playing with the corgi, using a ball and her Semblance to play fetch. Yang, meanwhile, leaned on the wall of the shop, trying to reflect on what she and Raven talked about a few nights before. It had been about ten or twenty minutes since Ruby went in.

"Just what were you doing for the past 17 years, Mom?" Yang asked herself, looking at the still undeleted message on her Scroll. "And why?"

"Excuse me, Miss," a female voice spoke up, breaking her train of thought. She looked up to see a brown haired woman wearing a brown bomber jacket over a blue and white shirt and brown pants. The woman had cinnamon brown eyes and a bandolier on her belt.

"Oh, hi," Yang waved. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah," the woman said, sounding somewhat like a farm girl. "Ya see I'm not from around these parts. I'm looking for a cantina of some time."

"Cantina?" Weiss asked, joining in on the conversation. "What are you talking about?"

"I think she's referring to a bar," Yang answered. "Well, there's the 'Wild Ursa'. I've been there a couple times. It's an okay place for gathering information, not sure about their drink selection, but a great place to unwind… if you like dancing and the occasional full-scale bar fight."

"You and your sister have a very weird definition of 'fun'," Weiss said.

"That sounds like the kind of scene my friends and I would like, actually," the woman said with a spark of excitement. "Where is it?"

"It's about two or three blocks east from here," Yang instructed. "Tell the boss, 'Junior', that 'Sir' sent you. He'll get you anything you want." The woman raised an eyebrow, to which the blonde explained, "He'll know the nickname."

"Okay, I won't dig too deep, Goldilocks," the woman said. "Thanks for the directions. You and Snow White take care now." The woman walked away, while Weiss raised an eyebrow at the nicknames.

"Snow White and Goldilocks?" Weiss asked. Yang shrugged.

"I guess it's the hair," she offered back to her white-haired teammate. She then noticed something on the back of the brown haired woman's jacket: a blue emblem with a pair of wings outlining a tall building. Yang turned to Weiss, and asked, "Any idea what that is?"

"I'm not sure I've seen that symbol before," the white-haired heiress answered. "It's not a competitor to the Schnee Dust Company, or an ally to the White Fang, that I know for sure. But I can't help but wonder what she talked to us for?"

"Maybe she just needed directions," Yang offered. "Sure, 'cantina' was weird to hear, but she seemed to mean well."

"That may be so," Weiss argued as the shop's bell rang, "but her accent, her posture, that logo, the fact that she seemed to be making more small talk than anything… she seemed more interested in keeping you busy than anything else." Yang's eyes widened.

"Oh no," the blonde woman breathed. She began loading Ember Celia, much to Weiss' confusion.

"What's wrong, Yang?" Weiss interrupted. "You're never this worried."

"Not when my baby sister is involved," Yang scowled. "I can't fill you on all details, because I'm not even sure of what's going on… but let's just say some strange people are after Ruby."

"Why? What did she do?" Weiss asked while Zwei tilted his head. Yang cocked her gauntlets, readying herself for the fight ahead.

"Blame our Mom," Yang said. "Because this is probably gonna suck."

Inside the shop, Ruby was browsing through the selection on Grimm, finally finding one book that had some information of Goliaths. Blake, meanwhile, was up front purchasing a small book titled _Ninjas of Love: The Hidden Garden of Romance._

"Thank you, Miss, for your purchase," the shopkeeper smiled. "Don't stay up too long reading that. It's a page-turner."

"Oh, it's that good?" Blake asked with a flush on her face while she held up the bag it was placed in. It was at that moment—while Weiss and Yang were busy with the brown-haired woman outside— that the shop's bell rang.

"Welcome to _Lit Candle Bookstore!"_ the shopkeeper greeted. "How can I… help… you?"

Two of the oddest people Blake had ever seen entered the shop. One was a girl, about five-foot four, with emerald green eyes and bright red hair, almost like Pyrrha. Her hair was rather on the short side, but one strand stood out, adorned with three green beads that framed the left side of her face. Her face was also adorned with a few freckles. Her companion, however, was taller by about two inches and clearly male. He had brown hair but blue eyes. They were both wearing brown robes, the male having darker robes, and each had at least one silver cylinder at their side, but the boy had two. They looked about her age.

Blake watched as they approached the shopkeeper, and politely got out of the way. "Yes, Miss," the boy said. He pulled out a Scroll that had an article about the Breach. Blake noticed the picture in the article: Team RWBY fighting Grimm during the Breach and being credited as the heroines. The boy pointed to Ruby in the picture. "Have you seen this girl lately? She was seen going into this store."

"Hmm," the woman behind the counter said. "It's not my place to talk about my customers, sir."

"Let's try a different approach," the girl suggested. She then waved her hand in front of the shopkeeper, while saying, "You will tell us if this girl is here."

"I will tell you if this girl is here," the shopkeeper said in a monotone voice, shocking the Faunus. The shopkeeper then answered, "Try upstairs. She walked in recently, looking for books about Grimm. I think she's a huntress in-training. A little on the young side, too."

"Thank you," the girl said with a gentle bow. "We'll be brief." The two brown-robed figures began walking towards the stairs… right where Ruby was currently reading for her paper.

It didn't take a genius that something fishy was going on here, and Blake didn't have tuna for lunch. The fact that as she was getting ready to follow them, a freaked out Yang and a confused Weiss burst into the shop, Zwei right on their heels, helped confirmed her hunch.

"Where's Ruby!?" the blonde brawler demanded.

"Upstairs, but two people in brown robes just asked for her," Blake said.

"Oh shoot!" Yang said. She was about to run, but Weiss grabbed her wrist, stopping her in her tracks.

"Want to explain what this is all about?" the heiress interrupted.

"Let go of me!" Yang demanded, her eyes glowing red. "Ruby's life is at stake, here! I nearly got her killed once doing something stupid, I'm not about to lose her because I couldn't watch out for her!"

"What?" Blake asked. Zwei whined in response to hearing this, and began running for the stairs.

"I know you're worried," Weiss said, "but you can't just go running off without giving us some answers. If Ruby's really in trouble, I want to know why and what has you worried about these brown robed guys."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Yang said.

"We're teammates and partners," Blake spoke up. "You helped me get through my obsession with Torchwick, and you'll be there for Ruby… let us know." Yang cooled down, and looked at the stairs. Weiss nodded at Yang, who sighed.

"…Blake knows the story about how Ruby and I lost our mom," she began. "Summer Rose… she went on a mission and never came back. We received only a bloody cloak, her weapon, and her bandolier, more than enough to assume the worst—that she died. Dad shut down, and revealed his most guarded secret to me: Summer Rose wasn't my biological mom, but loved me like she was my real mother. My mother's name is Raven, Uncle Qrow's younger twin sister, and she also disappeared. I was given a lead when I was seven on my mother's current whereabouts, by some man named 'Cipher'. In retrospect, I should have known it was a trap, but I was seven and naïve enough to put a sleeping Ruby in a wagon, and ran away from home to the location of the lead, a dead colony city called 'Titan's Claw'… right into a pack of Beowolves. I nearly got us both killed, but Uncle Qrow saved us. I was grounded for it, but what could have happened to us, to Ruby, has haunted me for the rest of my life. Still, I've made a vow to be more careful with my search.

"But last night, that woman who saved me from Torchwick's henchwoman? That turned out to my real mother. She was alive, but she apparently wasn't intentionally keeping away. For the past near 18 years, she had been… in space."

"Space?" Weiss and Blake asked.

Upstairs, Ruby was reading the chapter on the Goliath. She was surprised at how powerful this species of Grimm was according to survivors of fights with it. Massive durability aside the front and top bone carapace, tusks that could pierce mountains, powerful trunks that could crush buildings, feet that were strong enough to make tremors if stomping hard enough, highly intelligent and adaptive to various forms of combat, could grow to be the size of a small city… no wonder it took several Huntsmen and Huntresses to defeat even one even if, as far as she could tell, they had no ranged combat capabilities.

They were elegant to watch at least, and she had more than enough material to write a paper on it.

She closed the book, and turned to walk downstairs to the shopkeeper, when she was met with the two brown robed teens. "Greetings," the girl began. "Do you have a moment?"

"Yes?" Ruby nodded. "Nice robes… are you from Mistral?"

"Um, no," the girl answered. "We're from... far, far away."

"Ooh," Ruby grinned. "That sounds like a movie quote."

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," the girl awkwardly said. The boy at this point decided to step in.

"Anyway, Miss," he asked, holding up an article about the Breach that had Team RWBY fighting the Grimm and proudly arresting Torchwick, "are you by chance the girl in this holo?"

"Holo?" Ruby asked, looking at the Scroll. "Um, yeah… that's me. Those are my friends and my big sister. Are you a Hunter too?"

"Hunter?" the boy asked. "No. We aren't what you'd call 'Hunters' of the conventional kind. However, we do seek something… or rather, someone."

"Really?" Ruby asked. "Well, it's a little too late to go after Torchwick since he's in custody…"

"Not him," the boy said. "We are actually seeking you."

The young redheaded reaper blinked at his comment. "Me?"

"Allow us to properly introduce ourselves," the boy spoke up. "I am Artemis Nightrider, and this is Jadecal Solaria. We are members of the Jedi Order, and we have been tasked with seeking you out, Daughter of the Spirit of Roses."

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: So, this was a thing. I added that first section of this chapter last minute to give the story a pair of two new characters. Originally, Moff Gwencas Grey and Darth Mel were both supposed to be male, but I decided not to do that. Also, to give the Imperials SOME form of sympathetic characters. After I wrote the first chapter of this story, I realized things wouldn't work out the way that I done the original draft. So, new Sith Lord and Moff, both of whom are affably evil at worst.

You know, I know RWBY only shows important parts of the girls' lives at Beacon, but you have to wonder how Team RWBY has been keeping up their schoolwork. Well, that, and since we haven't really explored Goliaths in the story, I wanted to pose some things these guys may be capable of... don't worry, I'll also use personally designed Grimm, but I wanted to give the Goliath a REASON to be feared.

So, yeah, we're also finally introduced to TWO of the Jedi who will have an impact on the story-long Battle of Remnant. Yes... high-calibur sniper-scythes vs. lightsabers will begin very soon. Please, ladies and gentlemen, take the upcoming fight with a grain of salt because of either Aura enhancements, lightsaber-resistant metals, or Aura-enhanced lightsaber-resistant metals.

Anyway, two reviews!

**RedemptionWarrior:** Wow, I'm glad to see you! Anyway, yep... and his Master, Darth Mel, is reaping the consequences because of his incompetence. And yeah, Raven lacks the maternal tact that Summer had about 5-7 years to get down before her "death". Also, to be fair, she was just as mad at her daughter for her "What the Hell, Hero" calling out.

**tierboook:** Define "people coming to Remnant and doing their thing". You mean like the typical "Jedi-escaping-Order-66-and-hiding-out-from-Empire" plot? Because honestly, I wanted this to be a genuine adventure/political

Well, that is all that I have. Farewell, subjects!


	4. Chapter 4: Jedi, Sith, and Hunters

A/N: Hey, guys. Sorry this took a month to do. It's just... things have happened to me throughout May. One, my grandmother, who I had been spending the better part of 3 months taking care of, just passed away in May. So, I've been coping with that, including going to a funeral a couple weeks ago and then visiting my mom's family that she hasn't seen in a while. Second, my brother's surgery.

Third, and probably more important to you all... I had to rewrite a lot of this chapter. I wasn't satisfied with the initial version, especially now that I added new characters, changed scenes, added scenes, removed scenes... I'm pretty much George Lucas-ing this! At least we're not debating on whether or not Han shot first!

Anyway, without further ado, more _Soul of Remnant!_

* * *

**Vale City, Industrial District—17:26**

In the Council's Chambers, Ozpin was beginning to show annoyance with them. The Headmaster explained, "With all due respect, Councilors, I'm afraid that sending a more experienced team to Mountain Glenn was out of the question since older teams like Team CFVY were either out on missions or on recovery. Furthermore, this wasn't Team RWBY's first encounter with the White Fang and Roman Torchwick. In fact, had I not allowed them to go, I believe the chaos of the Breach would have been much worse, since we were scheduled to have more teams and Hunters out in the field according to what information we have gotten out of Torchwick."

"Regardless of your justifications," one of the Councilors argued, "it does not change the fact that you authorized a first-year team's access to a restricted area they were far from ready for, and they failed to prevent the White Fang from launching a full-scale Grimm attack. This is the beginning of a war and you are sending children to fight for us before they are properly trained. This, on top of your suspicious nature, is beginning to make me question why we tolerate you."

"Every single student in Beacon Academy knows the risks that come with being a Hunter. Their lives could end at any moment, and no amount of aid you all or I could provide them can prevent that," Ozpin calmly refuted. "Besides, if I told them no, they would have snuck off anyway, Dr. Oobleck would never had gone with them to provide support, and who knows how many people would have died or if our kingdom would still be standing. It only takes one minor Grimm attack and the fear it causes to destroy small settlements. Grimm loose in a capital could have destroyed us all. I will accept whatever punishment you give me, but they acted on my authority, so do not blame them."

"If you wish to keep your Huntsman License, let alone your position as Headmaster, you will keep a closer eye on all of your students." Ozpin casually took a sip of his coffee. "And you also better start taking this seriously, Ozpin. I don't know what game you think you're playing, but your lack of cooperation with the Council has not been unnoticed. So whatever you're doing, I suggest letting us in on it soon, and depending on what it is, we may be a little more tolerable."

"Trust me, Councilors," Ozpin smiled, "when it comes to the safety of both my students and the safety of Vale, I am always serious." He then looked outside the door at a silhouette. The room suddenly grew darker.

"Qrow Branwen," another Councilor breathed. "Why am I not surprised HE shows up? Now, all we need are Taiyang Xiao Long and his two wives to come back from the dead and we have the whole walking WMD that makes up Team STRQ."

"I'm afraid that I must leave," Ozpin excused himself, turning to the silhouette. "I have a surprise appointment that, for all of our sakes, I really should attend to."

"Ozpin," a Councilor spoke up, stopping the Headmaster in his tracks. He looked back at the Councilor, who said, "For what it's worth, if the Council votes against you at the final hearing, know that you are still a hero in my eyes. And for that, I will try to avoid disbanding Team RWBY."

"Thank you, Councilor." Ozpin exited the chambers, looking at the black cloaked man. "You didn't have to come here."

"And miss you keep your job by throwing some words around?" Qrow asked. "Besides, we have a bit to talk about… what was in Team RWBY's mission report, specifically Yang's segment."

"What about it?" Ozpin said. "Do you think that the Queen is responsible for this incident?"

"Yeah, but if the Queen, if she's smart, will hide her next move for a while. Especially with one of these about." He then held out a silver cylinder, and Ozpin blinked.

"…So, they're back," Ozpin sighed, taking the cylinder. "James, Glynda, and Taiyang aren't going to like this, Qrow."

"Of course they aren't," the man, Qrow Branwen, answered. "It's a good thing Taiyang's on a mission, otherwise, he'd have my tail-feathers for not immediately warning him. Peter, however… is he still boasting about the time he actually shot a Sith in the face?"

"I'm still questioning how he did that, and I've worked with him for years," Ozpin said. "However, he remembered our promise. Speaking of the Sith… if I turn this on, is it going to be red or blue?"

"How do you know it's not going to be a different color?" Qrow asked. Ozpin ignored him, and flipped a switch, which turned on a red blade of what appeared to be a laser beam that burst from the top of the cylinder. "Okay, fine, I killed a Sith apprentice before I came here. Oh, and I grabbed someone whose hanging outside." Ozpin turned off the blade, and looked out the window to see a tied up blonde, short-haired man in his mid-30s with green, fearful eyes, a black military vest with a red hexagon symbol on it. "Ozpin, this is Specialist Evan Herbert. Say hi to my good friend Ozpin, Herbert."

"Hi?" the Imperial asked.

"His Sith boss arrogantly brought a small squad to raid my family's farm," Qrow smiled. "They were cremated."

"So, the Sith have returned to Remnant and you brought a prisoner of war to the Council building where they could have seen you do this and potentially expose Remnant," Ozpin said.

"Oh, that's not all," Qrow smirked. He pointed towards the sea… where a group of police officers were confusedly hauling out black and gray uniformed crew members of what appeared to be a medium sized, highly-advanced military vessel. "I brought a starship."

"Does Taiyang know?"

"I called him before coming," Qrow said. "However, he's too deep in his mission in Atlas and can't abandon it, now. When he's complete, however, he's going to be on the first airship to Vale. I want you to be ready to calm him down or be finished with the prisoners when it happens, because we need to get all we can out of them. But I have a feeling that the Jedi are here as well."

"So why both groups and why now?" Ozpin asked. "Is there something on Remnant that they seek?"

"I don't know why they are ultimately here," Qrow answered, "because I haven't questioned Herbert or the XO on his ship, Aurelia Fleece—nice lady, never really seen combat, Evan here likes her, shame she's an Imp—yet to find out. However, I know something that they want, and chances are it's going to take both of us to keep her from them. After all, we each made a vow to her mother that she will be safe from both groups." He pulled out a Scroll, showing a picture of Team RWBY laughing and having fun after their little food fight with Team JNPR.

"Ruby," Ozpin said in a knowing tone.

"Wait, that's who I was on orders to kill or capture?" Herbert asked. Both Huntsmen looked at the Imperial soldier. "I was honestly expecting an older, ruthless apprentice, not some school girl."

"Yeah, you're not helping your case, Evan," Qrow said.

"And I'll shut back up, now," Herbert said.

"I'll have James bring him and Miss Fleece back to Beacon for private interrogation," Ozpin said, dialing Ironwood. "Are we sure we can trust the police with that ship?"

"I've given them a few pieces of advice for handling the investigation of that ship, and they know that Huntsmen can kill in self-defense," Qrow explained. "But as far as they are really concerned, these are high-tech pirates working with 'stolen, untested equipment'. Even if James can't use his military pull to get it brought to us, I've already downloaded everything we need to know about the ship—it's the _Akk Bleeder,_ I believe, it's a stupid name—onto my Scroll during the trip to Vale. We can run our own parallel-investigation."

"I hope you're right, Qrow," Ozpin said. "Because we are taking a lot of risks in letting them and their technology stay on Remnant."

"You don't think I know that, after what we did twenty years ago?" Qrow asked. "I know James wants the tech to better protect our world… but are we ready for it? Ready for the galaxy?"

"I have no idea," Ozpin answered. "But we may soon find out."

"Alright, fine," Qrow nodded. "However, I'm a little still worried about Ruby. How are she and Yang doing?"

* * *

**Commercial District—17:34**

Now, most people in the galaxy who run into any amount of Jedi asking about them specifically have an understanding of what this could possibly mean. If they were actually a rare Force sensitive, they could be excited possibly trained in the arts of using the Force or confused as to why they had a high midi-chlorian count that let them use it. Many normal people who got by without the Force were either skeptical or awe-stricken. If they were a criminal in some type of degree, they would be either soiling themselves that Jedi actually decided to get involved in their work or foaming at the mouth at the thought of capturing and/or killing a Jedi. The latter part could be said about most Sith as well, the Jedi's sworn enemy.

But Ruby Rose? Her reaction may have shattered every single expectation Artemis and Jadecal could have had about someone who was being pursued by Jedi for specific interest with just three words.

"What's a Jedi?" she naively asked. The two nearly fell on their faces.

"How could you possibly not know what a Jedi is?" Artemis asked her. "I thought Master Kombu said your mother was the Spirit of Roses… one of the most powerful Force-users in the galaxy."

"Galaxy?" Ruby tilted her head. "Are you guys saying you're aliens? Cool!" She then shook her head. "Wait, what about my mom? I thought her Semblance was gravity. I never saw her fight, but she never said anything about the Force while she was a Huntress. What's the Force?"

"This is most surprising," Jadecal spoke up. "You don't know what the Force is? It is the energy that binds all life in the galaxy. It connects us, surrounds us, and penetrates us all. At least, that's what Grand Master Yale Shan told me. Anyway, I can sense the Force is strong within you, and almost all sentient life on this planet… I just thought you all knew about the Force and Jedi."

"That kind of sounds like Aura and Semblances," Ruby said. "Maybe you have the wrong girl?"

"Perhaps we do," Jadecal said. "That is strange… but Master Kombu and Master Citarhi said the Daughter of the Spirit would wear a red cloak, like you, and you wear her symbol on your belt." Ruby looked at her bandolier, the silver rose hanging from it.

"Well, before my mom's mission, she wore this all the time," Ruby said. "But when she… didn't come back, this belt was given to me. It's protected me… I feel that she's always close."

"Even if we all aren't sure if this is the wrong girl," Artemis interrupted, "perhaps we should bring her to Master Kombu, anyway. He and Master Citarhi could sort this out. We are only Padawans, after all, and they are senior Jedi Knights."

"Ooh, you're knight squires as well?" Ruby grinned. "I have a friend who's somewhat of a knight! His name's Jaune Arc, he has a classic old sword and shield. Although the shield folds up into a sheath, it's still pretty cool. Family heirloom weapon, but I bet it has a few secrets."

"You are certainly one of the most excitable girls who is a Force sensitive person I have ever met," Artemis said. "Still, we do need you to come with us." The reaper backed up, and looked down.

"Oh, um, right now?" Ruby asked. "I'm sorry, but I can't… you see, I have a paper that I need to get started, and I'm pretty sure my friends are waiting for me… as much as I'd love to meet these Jedi Knights, I should finish my school stuff, first. Tell you what, if you guys give me your number, I could call you and we could meet up then?"

"Arf! Arf!" Ruby looked to see Zwei bounding up the stairs and running towards her. The little corgi then ran in front of her, and adopted a defensive stance between Ruby and the two Jedi… well, as much as he could, being an adorable dog.

"What is this creature?" Jadecal asked while Ruby bent down to pet him.

"Oh, this is Zwei," Ruby answered. "My Dad sent him to me and Yang to watch while he was on a mission. He's normally harmless."

"Heel," Jadecal told the dog, waving her hand in his face. Zwei surprisingly sat down and stuck out his tongue, giving her adorable puppy eyes. She then pet Zwei on the head while Ruby held him in her arms. "This creature… you and he share a strong connection. Are you sure you aren't a conscious Force-user?" Ruby shook her head.

"I didn't even know it existed until now," Ruby said. Before anyone could say anything else, a beeping noise rang out. Artemis pulled out a circular device. "What's that?"

"A holo-communicator," Jadecal answered while Artemis pressed a button on the device. On it, a small, blue holographic image of an armored soldier with short hair, and a rifle on his back. "Sergeant Ulgo? What are you calling for?"

"_Jedi, we have a bit of a problem,"_ the soldier, Sergeant Dennis Ulgo began. _"We spotted an Imp ship being pulled into Vale."_

"Imperials are already on the planet?" Artemis asked.

"_Yeah, but that's not the real problem,"_ Dennis answered. _"They weren't here looking combat ready. No… they were captured by—according to rumors—someone who distinctly fits the description of the 'Void Crow'. You know, the legendary son of a Hutt who won the Mandalorian Great Hunt twenty years ago. If he's here, then the rest of those trouble-makers from twenty years ago aren't long behind him."_

"The Void Crow is still alive?" Artemis asked. "And he's on this planet."

"_Apparently, he lives here,"_ Dennis replied. _"To make things worse, another Sith and Imperial squadron—this one combat ready—has arrived on the planet, and Specialist Iris is detecting them coming your way. Whatever you're doing, hurry up."_

"What's a Mandalorian and who is the Void Crow?" Ruby asked, drawing Dennis' attention to her.

"_Um… who's the civilian?"_ the soldier asked.

"Ruby," the reaper answered, poking the holographic image, somewhat distorting it.

"Please don't do that," Artemis said.

"Who are you?" Ruby asked.

"_Sergeant Dennis Ulgo, Havoc Squad," _the soldier replied. _"Wait a minute, why are we having this conversation!?"_

"We think she's the reason why we came to Remnant," Jadecal answered. "However… she doesn't know anything of what we expected."

"_Wait, SHE'S the target!?"_ Dennis asked. _"…Are you sure? When Steele said the Spirit of Roses' daughter, I was expecting a young adult Force-user. She looks like a kid."_

"I'm fifteen!" Ruby scowled.

"Unfortunately we're not one-hundred percent sure," Jadecal said. "We were about to contact Master Kombu and Master Citarhi. They will know if she is the Spirit of Roses' daughter for certain. We'll contact you later to deal with the Imperials." Artemis turned off his holo-communicator while looking at Ruby.

"We have to leave, now," Artemis said.

"Hold on a minute," Ruby said. "Now, I may not look smart, but I know something's going on. What's a Sith, who are these Imperials, and why do you keep calling me the Spirit of Roses' daughter!?"

"I'm afraid that your questions will have to wait until we are out of the Sith's reach," Artemis said.

_**CLICK-CLICK. SHING.**_

"No, you'll answer them right now," Yang said, pressing her right gauntlet to the back of Artemis' skull, the left to Jadecal's head. Blake, meanwhile, had Gambol Shroud in katana form to Jadecal's neck and Weiss had the tip of Myrtenaster pressed to Artemis' back.

"Guys?" Ruby asked.

"Ruby," Yang said, "step away from the admitted nice robe-wearing bad guys from outer space!"

"How did you all sneak up on us!?" Jadecal asked, not looking at her captors.

"Team RWBY specializes in striking hard AND quick," Blake said.

"Team… RWBY?" Artemis asked, looking at Ruby.

"Well, I'm the leader," Ruby explained, "but I didn't name it that. It has a nice ring to it, though, being an acronym of our names."

"It took me a bit of convincing to get Yang to not run in guns blazing," Weiss explained, "but Yang told us everything… about her mom spending the past several years in outer space… about how she warned Yang that there would be people after Ruby."

"Wait, Yang," Ruby spoke up, "you finally completed your goal?"

"Yes, but that's not important," Yang answered.

Weiss continued, "Now, as fancy as your outfits are for some type of outer space monks, you kind of fit the description of 'people we're supposed to worry about'. So, we have a lot of questions for you and we expect them answered. Who are you people!? What's a Sith!? And why is it that you're all after Ruby!?"

"I'd be glad to answer all of these questions at a later time," Jadecal interrupted, "but we are on a tight schedule right now. There is an Imperial battalion that will soon converge on this shop and kill everyone that isn't your friend. We have to reunite with Havoc Squad and the Masters."

"Masters?" Blake asked. "Who are they?"

"We're willing to introduce you if you let us go," Artemis answered. Suddenly, Zwei began frantically barking, causing Ruby to look at her corgi.

"What's wrong, Zwei?" Ruby asked, putting him down. Zwei ran over to the window that looked out the front of the shop, and began pawing at it. Ruby ran over, and looked outside. She let out a mild, "Oh."

"What?" Weiss asked, not lowering her blade from Artemis. Ruby responded by pulling out Crescent Rose.

"Girls, let them go," Ruby ordered. "Because the Jedi were right."

"Jedi?" Blake asked, lowering Gambol Shroud.

"What, is that some type of space cheese?" Yang asked, turning towards the window. She then blinked. "Man, that's a lot of soldiers."

"What?" Weiss asked. She looked outside to see red and black clad soldiers who had a similar insignia on their armor: a hexagon with arrows pointing out. But yet, that wasn't what she was stunned about. No, it was the young man with dark red skin, darker red hair slicked back, yellow eyes, spikes sticking from the sides of his face gold jewelry adorning his nose, and wearing red and black robes. He couldn't be more than 18.

"Okay, we have encountered some crazy things this school year. Hitching a ride on a giant Nevermore, Ruby killing said Nevermore via a catapult move, finding out that the toughest girl in our class has polarity powers, finding out your teammate is an ex-terrorist—"

"Hey!" Blake protested.

"—fighting a giant military mech stolen and mass-produced by a criminal organization, Ruby fighting an assassin in heels, being forced to work with Dr. Oobleck, and hitching a ride on a underground train that crashed into the center of town unleashing a herd of angry Grimm. But that guy right there? Now I've seen everything. How did he get that skin color?"

"He was born with it," Artemis answered. "He's a Sith Pureblood. While the Sith is an ideal that follows the Dark Side of the Force… Sith Purebloods are the species the ideals came from, and are more in-tune with the Dark Side than other species."

"Aliens?" Blake asked. "First, we hear that Raven Branwen, Yang's mom, was kidnapped by aliens, and now we're facing an alien invasion of religious proportions?"

"Daughter of the Spirit of Roses," the Sith Pureblood called out. "I am Rumwash Rodrix, apprentice to Lord Zilar, who is assisting Darth Mel! My agents throughout this pathetic city have tracked you down to this shop! I have the building surrounded, so there is nowhere you can run. Come out now and surrender or I will tear this shop to the ground with my bare hands! While I do so, my troops will execute random civilians until you cooperate!" He held his hand out, and a scream of fear called out as a young lioness Faunus girl, no more than ten, was suddenly dragged off the ground and into the air. The girl was then floated towards Rumwash, and was forced to kneel in front of the Sith. "And I will gladly start with this child!"

"M-Mommy!" the girl screamed. "Help! Make the bad man go away!" As if on cue, the mother of the little girl, a full lioness Faunus with cat ears and a long tail, rushed towards her little girl, only to stop when she spotted the soldiers raising their guns. She growled, only to stop when the Sith grabbed a silver cylinder from his side, and pressed a button, where a red laser-like blade erupted. The blade was held to the little girl's neck.

"Don't hurt her," the mother begged Rumwash. "She didn't do anything…"

"I know, but I want to," the Sith grinned. "Unless the Daughter of the Spirit of Roses shows herself in the next five minutes, I will. In the meantime, I suggest you take a seat, beast." The older Faunus was forced to the ground, one of the soldiers pressing his rifle to her.

Ruby gasped. "Is that a laser sword!? That would be so cool if it wasn't pointed at a little girl!"

"Actually, the correct terminology is a 'lightsaber'," Jadecal answered while presenting her own cylinder. Ruby blinked, and looked at the weapon, and back at Rumwash's. She then looked at Yang, who seemed to be connecting the two-and-two together as well.

"…Mom's weapon was a laser-sword!" Ruby answered. "That means she was… a Jedi?"

"I'm thinking it," Yang answered. "Summer was something, Ruby…"

"Or, rather, IS something," Weiss said, recalling her conversation with Yang. "According to Yang's mom, YOUR mom's just as alive."

"WHAT!?" Ruby asked.

"We don't have time for this," Blake said, pointing outside. "That monster is going to execute that mother and daughter!"

Ruby snapped back to reality, and looked at Rumwash. She backed up to the last bookshelf, and said, "Girls, Zwei, Artemis... move out of the way."

"Wait, you're not going to—" Artemis asked.

"Please move," Ruby requested while Weiss, Blake, and Yang all moved out of the way. The two Jedi and Zwei reluctantly moved.

Outside, the Faunus woman looked at her captor, whose eyes were searching for any signs of the Spirit of Roses' daughter, a degree of bloodlust shining from them. One of the other soldiers approached him, hauling a few more civilians his way. "Found more hostages, my lord," the soldier nodded. "But… are you absolutely certain she'll take this bait?"

"According to the information Cipher 13 was willing to part with," Rumwash answered, "the Daughter of the Spirit of Roses may as well be a young Padawan. Something that we'll have to work on is her care for people." Looking at the little girl, he said, "Well, for a little beast, you learned to heel, quickly. You're not a Cathar, though. What are you, actually?"

"A… a Faunus?" the little girl answered, looking up with big brown tear-filled eyes. "Please, mister scary red man, let me and Mommy go…"

"Can't do that," Rumwash shook his head. "Or, rather, I won't. Not because you're filthy lower-class aliens, but because I am Sith, entitled to do whatever I want to whomever. And I'm a little bloodthirsty right now." As if on cue, the police arrived on the scene. "And here come the nerfs to the slaughter-house."

"Freeze!" one of the officers yelled, brandishing his gun. "Release the hostages and put your hands above your head! You are under arrest!" Rumwash laughed before extending his hand, telekinetically ripping the gun from his hand. The Sith then crushed the gun with a telekinetic grip. Rumwash then fired a bolt of lightning from his fingertips at the police car, which the officers barely got away from before it exploded.

"Let that be a mild lesson, you pathetic scum of this backwater planet!" Rumwash declared. "The Sith Empire is now officially in charge. Whatever we say goes. And what I say is that if the Spirit of Roses' daughter doesn't show up in the next ten seconds, people WILL die and the blood will be on her hands!" Putting his lightsaber closer to the girl, he continued, "Starting with this little one."

"No," the mother breathed. "Somebody help us!"

_**WHAM!**_

The Sith was thrown off his feet by the red blur that burst through the window of the shop and drop-kicked him in the face, knocking his lightsaber several feet in the air. Ruby got up, grabbed the girl, and in a blur of rose petals, rushed over to the girl's mother, grabbing her, and moving them over to the police. Ruby, moving faster than the Imperials could even spot, proceeded to rescue every single hostage before stopping in front of the police officers, Crescent Rose resting on her shoulder. She gave Rumwash a determined look as she grabbed the lightsaber and turned it off by pressing the button she spotted on the side.

"I'm still not one-hundred percent sure I'm this daughter of the Spirit of Roses," Ruby told the recovering Sith, "but I know this… you're not even going to THINK about hurting innocent people."

The Sith looked at the soldier he was talking to before. "You owe me 100 Credits."

"Yes, my Lord," the soldier nodded. Rumwash turned to Ruby, reached out, and telekinetically grabbed his lightsaber, turning it back on.

"On the contrary, you fit the physical description of the Spirit of Roses' daughter," Rumwash replied to Ruby. "And you've already failed my little test. A true Sith would never give in to a hostage situation. We have a lot to teach you."

"What are you talking about?" Ruby asked. Rumwash's eyes widened, but he shook his head with laughter.

"You mean you really don't know?" the Sith asked. "Did your mother not teach you a single thing?" Sinking to a fighting stance, he said, "Do not interfere, men… unfortunately, despite her heritage, the Emperor wants this one alive." With that, he lunged, trying to bring his lightsaber down on her. Ruby blocked the beam with her scythe… which actually threw the Sith off. "Wait a minute, your weapon can block lightsabers? What is this thing made of!?"

"I think it's called 'phrik'," Ruby replied, sweeping around and slashing at Rumwash, who barely dodged. The Sith growled, and swung at her again, but Ruby parried it and went for a low sweep. Rumwash predictably jumped on the scythe, pinning it down with his foot.

"Fool," he chuckled. "Surrender."

"Hm… nope," Ruby smiled.

_**BANG!**_

Rumwash was thrown off Crescent Rose by its recoil, landing in front of the Imperial soldiers on his face while Ruby flipped in front of the bookstore, switching her weapon to rifle form. Rumwash looked up, and asked, "It SHOOTS!?"

"I went a little overboard designing my sweetheart," Ruby smirked, cocking her gun. With that, she aimed Crescent Rose at Rumwash, who dodged each of these shots. Ruby switched back to scythe form to block Rumwash, who was pushing her back. The two then began to parry each other's attacks, Ruby's being quicker but Rumwash's having more power to his swings, but Ruby regaining her balance with Crescent Rose's recoil pushing Rumwash's attacks.

"You are quite the opponent," the Sith growled during a blade-lock. "The Dark Side could use your unique perspective on weapons... but you are starting to annoy me."

"Dark Side?" Ruby asked.

"Your mother really should have told you about this, child," Rumwash said. "But you cannot hope to possibly defeat me alone."

"Who said I was alone?" Ruby asked. "This was just the set-up."

"Set-up?" Rumwash asked. "For what?"

"Sunflower!" Ruby called out, suddenly pushing Rumwash's lightsaber down. She then performed a blackflip, kicking his chin and making him drop his lightsaber, but not before he snagged a small part of her cape. But when Rumwash recovered, he was thrown off by the yellow blur rushing out of the shop from behind Ruby's cape, her right fist cocked back.

_**BLAM!**_

Yang sent Rumwash flying into the remains of the police car that the Sith shocked moments before. Yang sank to a fighting stance next to her younger sister. "Glad we finally got around to using that attack."

"Yeah," Ruby said. Rumwash pushed out of the car, livid. Weiss, Blake, Zwei, Jadecal, and Artemis finally emerged from the shop. Rumwash's rage turned into curiosity.

"So, you've aligned with the Jedi?" he asked Ruby.

"Um, no," Ruby corrected, "I'm not really taking sides just yet. But I'm not siding with a psycho who takes people hostage!"

"Such a shame," Rumwash said. Looking at his troops, he ordered, "Well, don't just stand there gaping, you pissants! Shoot them!"

"Weiss?" Ruby asked. The heiress didn't need to be told twice, twirling before stabbing the ground as the Imperial soldiers aimed their rifles. She summoned a giant wall of ice before the blasts rang out, impacting the wall, breaking some chunks off, but not shattering it. The two Jedi were stunned by this display, as they still had their hands reaching their lightsabers.

"What in the stars?" Jadecal asked Weiss. "How did you do that? That's no Force ability I've seen before!"

"I take it there's not Dust in the part of the galaxy you guys are from?" Weiss asked, handing her and Artemis each a "Dust for Dummies and other Inadequate Individuals" phamplet. "Read this and you will understand what I just did." Looking at Myrtenaster, she sighed, "However, you may want to read that when this is over… I'm afraid I just emptied the last of my Dust supply creating this so quickly."

"In that case," Ruby said, "we better get you some more. We need to move the fight from here, anyway. Too many people could get hurt."

"That's my little sister," Yang smiled, rubbing Ruby on the head. "Looking out for people."

"Wait, you two are siblings?" Artemis asked. "For a minute, I thought that she and the black-haired girl would be siblings?"

"We're going to have to establish a first-name basis for all of us sometime sooner-or-later," Blake said. "But right now, we need an exit strategy. That barrier isn't going to hold forever?"

"Got it," Jadecal said, putting her lightsaber away and beginning to concentrate, closing her eyes and clapping her hands together. Her whole body began to glow a bright gold. When she opened her eyes, her robe began fluttering, and her green eyes shined. She then thrusted her palms out. The ice barrier shattered without Jadecal even touching it, but the ice shards knocked over the Imperial soldiers, but Rumwash smashed a chunk his way with lightning. When he looked towards where the group once stood when the frost cleared, he spotted a trail of rose petals moving away from the bookstore and towards the opposite street.

Rumwash growled, but stopped when a beeping rang out. Rumwash pulled out a holo-communicator to see the disappointed look of Darth Mel. _"I thought I gave Lord Zilar and the rest of the fleet my direct order to not do anything else stupid, child," _Mel said. _"Yet, I keep getting reports of how you disobeyed my orders and now you are terrorizing civilians and local law enforcement, including the theft of experimental nexu cats who I didn't even know Lord Zilar brought until five minutes ago, and my Spider Walkers. What in the Emperor's name are you thinking, Rumwash?"_

"I was thinking the quickest way to handle this situation was to take the direct approach," Rumwash answered. "I have the Spirit of Roses' daughter on the run. I just need to corner her and I will be hand-delivering the Emperor's newest apprentice."

"_What you've done is jeopardize my plans to subtlety integrate into the Imperial fold by using an overt military tactic,"_ Mel snapped. _"Furthermore, you stole experimental war beasts and battle droids. If I wasn't on a spaceship and trying to figure out what I can do to salvage this, I would be ringing your neck and throwing you into my torture chamber for a couple hours before putting an obedience chip in your neck for your reckless incompetence. Now come back and I might be in a forgiving mood."_

"I don't understand why we even NEED a diplomatic branch of the Dark Council," Rumwash said. "We're Sith… we take what we want. That said, I'm going to take the Spirit of Roses' daughter no matter how much devastation I have to inflict."

"…_You know what,"_ Mel said, _"I was considering for a second about saving you from what's going to happen. I really was. But I can tell you're a lost cause. If you want to get yourself killed, fine, but die well and without spoiling my plans. Darth Mel out."_

The holo-communicator faded, but Rumwash turned his attention to the petals. "Ready the nexu and the battle droids. I want the Spirit of Roses' daughter found and in chains. I want anyone else who is with her dead."

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: Well, this was quite the chapter. We get to see Ozpin dealing with the fallout from Ironwood going behind his back and reporting Ozpin's suspicious behavior to the Council. Am I honestly the only one who thinks Volume 3 will end with Ozpin stripped from his position at Beacon and having to go independent to stop the villains? As for why the Council cares about Team RWBY, well... chances are Ironwood reported that Ozpin, for reasons he hadn't disclosed, allowed Team RWBY to take on the White Fang and Torchwick by themselves and never did anything about it. They're worried that Team RWBY could go rogue. Qrow bringing Herbert and capturing an entire ship of off-worlders doesn't really help.

As for the Jedi... this is effectively first contact between Team RWBY and the galaxy as a whole. Nobody on Remnant save for a small handful really knows about the Force. For those who have played _Star Wars: The Old Republic,_ think of Remnant like Voss (an isolated, recently discovered planet of Force-users who could cause the Republic and Empire problems if provoked, neutral, and has a major internal problem that needs dealt with). That's why Weiss, Blake, and Yang aren't quick to trust the Jedi right away. But they sure as hell aren't trusting Rumwash.

Speaking of Rumwash... I'm going to be honest. First drafts, he wasn't even a character in existence. Instead, this chapter's fight was going to be Team RWBY vs. Jadecal and Artemis. But when I chose to add the scenes containing Darth Mel and Moff Grey, as well as Qrow killing Coparo, I couldn't help but think that introducing a power-mad arrogant kung-fu guy Sith that will hound the younger heroes during the story.

And there... lightsaber vs. sniper-scythe. It's finally happened, but there will be several more fights. Including a battle so big, I'm going to have to split it in two chapters.

But right now, reviews!

**swimfeared:** Sorry, but Weiss was one of those who wouldn't want to rush into a scenario without having some idea as to what's going on. Besides, she knows Ruby can handle herself long enough for an explanation as long as Ruby has her weapon. In short, she figured Ruby would be okay while she got a grasp on the situation, then attack.

**RedemptionWarrior:** Glad that I'm not the only one who thought Ruby would be capable of doing more than just quick-fighting with her Semblance. She can, if she really tapped into her Semblance, be her world's equivalent of the Flash.

**FOODninja-321:** Sorry for the wait!

**anthonyluna29:** First review, I'm one step ahead of you for planning Ozpin and Cinder's involvement in the story. No way are they sitting this out.

Second review: Well, Ruby WAS going to be briefly Force Persuaded into following the Jedi which would start a brief fight, but I decided to have her drop-kick a Sith from out a window.

**A.K.b00m:** Glad you're enjoying the OCs. R0-S3 especially is one of my favorite droids. He's a bit of a trouble-maker, very quick to run from trouble (he flat-out said he refused to die on Rishi Station), but he has a heart of gold...durasteel. He doesn't like innocent people getting hurt if he can help it, but he's incredibly hateful against people he doesn't like. You'll find out why R0 has such a strong personality, later.

Well, that's everything. Next time, we continue the fight against Rumwash! Farewell, my subjects!


	5. Chapter 5: Attack of Rumwash

A/N: And thus, the battle begins. And Remnant is exposed to the insanity of the galaxy for the first real time. On Monty Oum's birthday, no less.

* * *

**Beacon Academy—Ozpin's Office—17:42**

* * *

"Are you kidding me, Qrow?" Goodwitch asked the black reaper. She was looking over a Scroll which had a three-way call between her, Qrow and Ozpin, and Ironwood.

"_He's not,"_ Ironwood said. _"I've just seen it myself downtown… we got an Imperial problem. And where there are Imperials… Republic is not far behind."_

"So, it's begun," Goodwitch sighed. "James, you got your war. I hope you're happy with yourself."

"_I don't get it, though,"_ Ironwood said. _"As far as either side is concerned, Remnant has no strategic military value. We're a planet beyond either side's jurisdiction, beyond the Rishi Maze. Not exactly a military advantage point for either side."_

"_And part of our negotiation twenty years ago with the Jedi was they'd never reveal any record on this planet unless they were absolutely desperate,"_ Ozpin added.

"I guess something must have happened," Goodwitch said. "The Republic must either be in a bad state, the Imperials discovered it, or worse."

"_The Republic is in a bad state AND the Imperials discovered Remnant?"_ Ozpin offered.

"Not funny," Goodwitch replied. "But knowing our luck, it's probably true."

"_I don't care WHY the Jedi violated our little treaty,"_ Qrow interjected. _"But they did, and I'm not taking it lightly. All I care about is that according to at least one of our prisoners, the Imperials—and more than likely the Republic too—are after Ruby. I'm not tolerating that, but I'm in enough control that I'm not going on a rampage. God knows Taiyang is barely able to keep his cool. Losing Raven was one thing… losing Summer nearly broke him. The only reason we HAVE someone to interrogate is because he's not here, because their ability to look out for themselves or no, Taiyang is protective of Ruby and Yang to the death. Oh, and before I went to town on a Sith, I found out who is running the Empire… an old playmate we were never properly introduced to. You guys recall her stories of Crumma, right?"_

"_Crumma?"_ Ozpin asked. _"You mean… that psychotic Sith that was after her throughout her teen years? The one responsible for the nightmares?"_

"_Yeah,"_ Qrow breathed. _"The one who haunted her memories. Damn near broke her without even being near her. But however, he's thankfully not here, yet. I heavily doubt these are the only Imperials. That's why we need to interrogate these guys."_

"I'll have the cells ready," Goodwitch said. However, a beeping noise interrupted the conversation. "A Hunter emergency situation on the news?" Goodwitch asked.

"_Hold on,"_ Qrow said. Goodwitch flipped her Scroll to the news.

"_Insanity reigns through downtown Vale,"_ Lisa Lavender narrated. _"Team RWBY, the four young huntresses-in-training and first-year students at Vale's own Beacon Academy who were first on the scene of last week's Breach, seem to be locked in combat with an unknown but heavily armed terrorist organization led by this man." _She showed Rumwash walking through the streets, and civilians were desperately fleeing from him, hiding wherever they could. _"I have no idea what this man is, but I do know this: he is neither human nor Faunus, but he appears to be calling himself 'Sith'."_

"And cue the Imperials," Goodwitch sight. Prof. Port burst into the room.

"Did someone say 'Imperials'!?" he asked. He spotted the battle raging through the streets. "Oh, this brings me back to the old days, back when we wrecked havoc during that Great Hunt twenty years ago. Oh how we destroyed the Korriban Academy and made fools of the Jedi during the Tython Escape."

"Peter, not now," Goodwitch snapped.

"Of course not," Port said. "I've got to go get my weapon and my anti-Jedi gear. I knew spending twenty years working on improvements was a great idea! Well, Glynda, I'm off! I'm beating Qrow's score!" With that, Port ran off faster than many people his… girth would think possible. Goodwitch, for her sake, had a twitch under her right eye, and seemed to be mentally debating about whether or not letting Port go was a good idea.

Lisa continued, _"These terrorists appear to be a part of the same organization that were arrested earlier this afternoon by the infamous Huntsman, Qrow Branwen, a member of Team STRQ. Furthermore, joining Team RWBY in this fight are two young teenagers who appear to be wearing brown robes, and they as well as the lead aggressor of this fight are using what appear to be laser swords. This has broken off into a chase down the Commercial District as well as humanoid looking droids. Huntsmen and authorities are advised to approach with caution."_

"…_Is that Ruby and Yang? And are those… JEDI!?"_

"Qrow—"

"_He just took off in a giant shadow,"_ Ozpin said. _"He left his Scroll behind and is already on the case. I'll go back him up."_

"_I'm scrambling my troops,"_ Ironwood added.

"I'm going to stay here and work on damage control so you all won't catch hell for it from the Council," Goodwitch said. She turned off her Scroll before calling the Council. "Council… it's Glynda. Listen, about downtown…"

* * *

**Unknown Location—17:46**

Summer Rose watched the news report on her own Scroll, strolling back and forth through her base of operations while R0-S3, Mint, and—surprisingly—Naywi all watched. "Ruby…" she breathed, looking at her daughter fight Rumwash. '(On one hand, I'm proud of her following my footsteps of being a Huntress… but on the other hand, I don't want her full Force to be unleashed. I don't know if she'll be taken for Jedi or Sith training… or worse.)'

"Is that your daughter?" Naywi asked as she walked towards the Scroll. "She's doing surprisingly well against the Sith."

"[Also, red flower lady's daughter pretty!]" Mint added. "[Mint like custom blaster and scythe! How she hold it?]"

"I'm guessing Qrow taught her since I've been gone," Summer mused. "He's always been a good mentor to students… figures he'd take on my daughter as an apprentice. He is her godfather after all." Spotting the Jedi with her, Summer gasped. "Naywi, I didn't expect your fellow Padawans to be here so soon."

"[Jedi=on Remnant?]" R0 asked.

"Yes, Arr-zero," the white-cloaked woman said. "If there's one thing the Jedi lack—no offense to you, Naywi—its subtlety. We may have a problem."

"It's only Artemis and Jadecal," Naywi said. "I know they've had more training than I have, but they're relatively nice Padawans."

"That's not why I'm worried," Summer said. "You told the identities of their Masters, and… I'm not sure."

"[Master=going to Vale?]" the little droid questioned. Summer looked up from the Scroll.

"I… I don't know, R0," Summer answered. "I want to see—want to embrace—Ruby again. I want to talk to her, defend her, and be by her side fighting. But… I'm worried. Raven's meeting with Yang didn't go so well. What if the same or worse happens with Ruby? And our operation here isn't fully secure, yet. Retaking a settlement is just as hard as defending it, if not harder. I can't just up and leave things to Raven without asking—"

"I'm not stopping you, Summer," Raven said, walking into the room holding Summer's sniper rifle.

"Raven?" Summer asked. "But… what about our base?"

"I know you want to just rush to Vale right now, you're pacing," Raven said. "You were better at the whole 'Super Mom' thing that I was. I'm sure crippling Darth Crumma before he arrives by taking out his ground teams will be a good start to us being more mobile, Summer. We shouldn't just stay shacked up here. Better yet, you can continue Naywi's training while you're out."

"…Are you sure you'll be alright running while we're gone?" Summer asked.

"Hey, I got to be a hero LAST week. It's your turn." She then threw Summer's rifle over to her, and cut a portal. "That is the closest I can cut you to Vale City from here with the Dust I have. I'll have to get some more, but it'll be worth it if you can do a better job bonding with Ruby than I could with Yang. You can make it back to Patch on your own, right? You'll have to take the scenic route to get to the kingdom yourself… but you better hurry."

"…We'll be about three hours," Summer said. "You have command."

"Don't worry," Raven smirked. "I'll have this place spotless." She watched as Summer and Naywi ran through the portal, which closed behind them. Raven turned to R0, and said, "Hey, can you make this place spotless? I have to go Dust shopping."

"[Bird-lady=mean!]" R0 beeped.

"If I'm going to be of any use for missions across planet, I need my Dust to create precise portals farther than 50 miles!" Raven justified. The droid looked like it would be scowling at her if it had optics. "…Fine, I'll help clean a little bit."

* * *

**Freshman Dorm Balcony—17:49**

Jaune and Pyrrha's swords clashed one final time. Pyrrha made a feint with her following swing, this time dodging Jaune before kicking him from behind. To his credit, the knight got up quickly. "You're getting there, Jaune," Pyrrha beamed. "Your stance is still a little awkward, but you've at least stopped with reckless flailing."

"Um, thanks," Jaune smiled. "Pyrrha, you've been a great mentor this past school year."

"Glad to know our daily training sessions have been working," Pyrrha smirk. "Now, if you could just quicken your pace, like bringing your dancing skills into a fight, you could match and even beat opponents with YEARS of experience. Let's start again."

_**BEEP! BEEP!**_

Jaune looked to see his Scroll ringing from not far away. Curious, he picked it up, spotting Ruby as the caller. "You should probably take that," Pyrrha said. She didn't admit it, but the week prior, she felt guilty telling Jaune that it was probably nothing when he missed Ruby's call. The next thing everyone knew, the Breach happened and a lot more damage could have been done if they had gone on their original mission.

Jaune answered the Scroll. "Hello?"

"_Hey, Jaune," _Ruby nervously spoke up. _"Are you and the rest of Team JNPR busy?"_

"_Juniper as in the flower?"_ a male voice asked. _"Who comes up with your team names on this planet?"_

"_Our headmaster,"_ Yang said. _"There was a war… creative arts were limited and nearly destroyed, so we have a usual color motif."_

"Wait, who is that?" Jaune asked.

"_Unfortunately,"_ Ruby replied, _"I don't have a lot of time. A lot of bad things are happening downtown, involving some type of evil alien army, two squires from far parts of the galaxy, and a red alien bad guy with a laser sword that can shoot lightning from his fingers and he's trying to kidnap me and hurt a lot of people… I kind of need to call in that back-up favor you owe me."_

"…Wait," Jaune blinked. "You said that a lot of crazy things are happening downtown and your first instinct to call me?"

"_Well, yeah, why wouldn't I?" _Ruby asked. _"You're my friend and my fellow rookie team leader. We have these meetings on Saturdays for more than just small talk."_

"Well, that's nice of you Ruby," Jaune smiled. "But I'm not one-hundred percent sure Pyrrha would approve—"

"Jaune, get your gear, I'm going to call Ren," Pyrrha answered, sheathing Miló and strapping Akoúo to her back. "We're about to go hunting."

"Wait, what about our training?" Jaune asked.

"Jaune, Ruby's in danger and the best training you can take right now is backing her up," Pyrrha said. "Besides, with each other, we're only holding back. If this is another Breach or worst, Huntsmen need to be on the scene."

"…Okay," Jaune said. "Ruby, we're on our way."

"_Thank you, Jaune,"_ Ruby beamed, albeit sounding a bit too happy about it. _"Ruby out!"_ Ruby hung up, and Jaune pocketed his Scroll while strapping Crocea Mors to his side.

"What are we getting ourselves into?" Jaune asked.

"Not a clue," Pyrrha answered. "Well, we should hurry and get onto the first available transport."

* * *

**Beacon Airship Platform—17:56**

"Ah, Team JNPR!" Port smirked at the four first-year students, all exchanging surprised glances at each other before looking back at their Grimm Studies teacher. He was wearing some type of burgandy red and dark brown heavy combat armor with Beacon's symbol painted on the left side of the chestplate. "I take it you've seen the news?"

"The news?" Nora asked. "Actually, Jaune got a call from Ruby about some type of cheese knights and evil red lightning wizards!"

"That was not what Pyrrha and Jaune said to us," Ren corrected.

"So it was what was on the news!" Port smiled. "Oh Mr. Arc, I'm so estatic that you young ones are finally joining us 'old school' Huntsmen in the art of combatting Force-users!"

"Force-users?" Jaune asked.

"Apparently some people who can lift stuff with their mind," Coco's voice spoke up. The younger Team JNPR spotted Coco Adel, 3rd year student and leader of Team CFVY, walking over wearing a brown and black combat suit, her marksman symbol on her belt she kept from her usual outfit hanging around her waist. She had her sunglasses and beret as well. "If you're questioning the style, newbies, it's apparently resistant to the type of gear we're up against. Aura alone won't cut it when it coming to protecting against plasma blades. It's retro, but I make it look good."

"...Plasma blades?" Ren asked.

"Apparently these Jedi and Sith specialize in using these laser swords that are plasma blades," Velvet Scarletina explained as she, Fox, and Yatsuhashi walked over, each wearing similar suits but with their own custom designs. Velvet's had her heart symbol on a yellow belt on her waist and yellow shoulder pads. Fox had his orange vest over his suit. Yatsuhashi still had his shoulder guard over his left arm. "Better safe than sorry, right?"

"Um... okay?" Jaune slowly answered, turning to Prof. Port.

"When I was your age, children," Port explained, "I had an old friend who explained the effectiveness of these weapons. They could cut through a lot of material. Aura, while providing a protective barrier around you, has its defensive limits and lightsabers burn through Aura at a much faster rate than a typical blade or a Grimm claw can cut through it. Luckily, my old friend provided me access to this armor and I acquired combat suits. While not immune on its own, the material these suits are made of are far more durable than your traditional outfits for those who don't wear some type of armor."

"So, I'm good, right?" Pyrrha asked.

"Miss Nikos, as much as I find your outfit attractive," Port chuckled, "you should—just in case—put on a suit if you plan to join in the fight. You too, Mr. Arc. You can keep your beskar chestplate, though. It will provide extra protection." As if on cue, a unique-looking airship, labeled "AF7", came over. Port climbed aboard, and turned as Team CFVY joined him. "So, Team JNPR, are you joining us or not? Either way, this airship is scheduled to leave for downtown in sixty seconds."

Jaune was trying to calculate what Port just dropped on him. He was about to answer, when he saw Nora hop on. "Let's go save Team RWBY!" the little Viking screamed. Ren rolled his eyes before climbing aboard. Pyrrha looked at Jaune, and motioned her head towards the airship. Jaune sighed before getting on. He then reached out his hand to Pyrrha, and helped her on in a gentlemanly fashion.

"This is not going to be pretty," he said for everyone.

"Relax, we're only fighting an invading intergalatic army," Port said. "Still, compared to yours truly—who has racked up quite the body count of Sith and has killed a few Jedi—you are rookies. So if you see anyone whose calling themselves 'Lord' or 'Lady' or a 'Knight of the Republic', call for Team CFVY. As for anyone who called 'Darth' or a 'Jedi Master'... well, pray for Ozpin or myself."

"No, I'm talking about the fact that even though I have gotten better, I still get motion-sickness."

"...Oh," Port realized. "Well... if you vomit, Mr. Arc, please do so away from my armor. It's quite the nuisance to clean. Now, you'll have to equip your gear mid-flight, so sorry, Miss Valkyrie and Miss Nikos."

"Oh," both girls blushed while Fox and Yastuhashi politely turned away as the airship lifted off.

"Don't worry," Coco smirked. She flicked her purse into mini-gun form. "Either of your boys try anything, well... that's gonna be unpleasant." Jaune gulped while Ren turned away from Nora to protect her modesty. He grabbed Jaune and turned him away as well.

* * *

**Vale City, Commercial District—17:59**

Ruby pocketed her Scroll, looking around town. She, Blake, and Yang had to wait while Weiss bought a reload of Dust for Myrtenaster, giving them the job of playing lookout for the Imperials. However, this also gave them the job of watching the Jedi, who were still with them.

"So who did you call?" Artemis asked.

"Jaune," Ruby smiled. "He's a friend… like the rest of us, he and his team are first-year students at Beacon. Jaune was also my first friend I made coming here."

"I'm still surprised that you gave him your number," Yang commented. "Interesting pick in boys, sis… though then again, you could have done worse. You could have had a crush on CARDIN."

"Yang, it's nothing like THAT!" Ruby denied, although her face was turning red. "He's just a boy who is a friend! Besides, I thought he was with either Weiss or Pyrrha."

"I don't think Dad's gonna care when he finally shows up," Yang said. "Let's just hope we can calm him down, though. After all, you've seen plenty of boys… like handsome here."

"…I'm sorry, what?" Artemis asked, confusion etched on his face.

"Oh come on," Yang smirked. "Don't pretend you don't have a pretty boy look to you."

"Oh… OH!" Artemis realized. "I'm sorry, it's just… the Jedi do not exactly condone romantic attachments. 'There is no Passion, there is Serenity'."

"They don't?" Yang asked. "Okay, question. How do you get more members?"

"Jedi are usually recruited very young," Jadecal replied. "This is usually infancy or at the oldest 9 galactic standard years. That way, they limit the attachments they make. Jedi have to be ready to sacrifice themselves for the greater good, and attachments can hinder that responsibility."

"What was that quote earlier?" Ruby asked.

"That was part of the Jedi Code," Artemis answered. "Particularly the third stanza. 'There is no Emotion, there is Peace. There is no Ignorance, there is Knowledge. There is no Passion, there is Serenity. There is no Chaos, there is Harmony. There is no Death, there is the Force'."

"That's a neat Code," Ruby said.

"So, was Dad that good with charming ladies, or was Summer not a Jedi?" Yang asked. Ruby scowled at Yang ruining the moment.

"Summer?" Artemis and Jadecal asked. The two looked at each other in confusion.

"I don't recall any Jedi named 'Summer' in the archives on Coruscant," Artemis said to the female Padawan.

"Nothing in Dantooine's Temple," Jadecal replied. "Plenty about Revan and Bastila Shan, yes, but nothing on anyone named Summer. There wasn't anything in the Tython Archives either."

"Maybe she was trained at a different Temple?" Yang offered. "Either that or she was a different type of Jedi."

"A gray Jedi, perhaps," Jadecal suggested. "They're Force-users who don't adhere to the Code and operate outside of the Jedi Order, but they're not Sith."

"So," Blake interrupted, "are you two going to answer why you're after Ruby? Why that red guy was after Ruby? Who these Masters of yours are? Who this Emperor is? And what does _**ANY**_ of this have to do with Ruby and Yang's moms?"

"Perhaps I can answer all of those questions," an older male voice spoke up. When the members of Team RWBY looked up, they saw a man in his mid-late forties wearing brown robes like Jadecal and Artemis. His eyes were a dark shade of green, and he had a lightsaber attached to his side. His brown hair was beginning to gray, and his face had a slight goatee. He was tall at six and a half feet, taller than all four members of Team RWBY, and looked strong. At his side was Sergeant Dennis Ulgo, who was revealed to be blonde with brown eyes, wearing white armor and orange armor with the same symbol that was on the woman outside the bookstore's jacket.

"So that woman WAS distracting me!" Yang concluded. "So that means that you Jedi guys are working with whoever that symbol belongs to!"

"It's the Galactic Republic," Dennis answered. "My real question here is HOW none of you have heard of any of this."

"I suppose it's because this planet is far from the regular regions and the Spirit of Roses and her allies never parted with the information about our galaxy," the older man nodded. "…They've adhered better to the agreement than we Jedi have. Say what you will about Huntsmen, but they know honor."

"Master Kombu," Jadecal said while the older man approached. "Where is Master Citarhi?"

"She gave me a head-start," Kombu explained. "You know, metal leg." He lifted the bottom of his pants leg to reveal a silver leg.

"How did that happen?" Ruby asked.

"Lightsabers are beams of pure plasma," the Jedi answered. "They can cut through just about anything except for certain metals… I had lost this in a lightsaber duel." Weiss, meanwhile, leapt up using a Glyph. "Is this the last of your allies?"

"Where did they come from?" she asked the other members of Team RWBY.

"Apparently some place called 'the Galactic Republic'," Blake answered. "Who knows how far that is from Remnant."

"Let's just say light-years and leave it at that," Kombu said. "Greetings, children. I'm Jedi Master Kombu Grenwin. This is Dennis Ulgo, Sergeant and a member of the Republic Special Forces unit called 'Havoc Squad'. You've met my Padawan Jadecal and you're also familiar with Artemis."

"Padawan?" Weiss asked.

"They're like knight squires, kind of like Jaune," Ruby answered.

"Yeah, but far more dignified," Weiss replied. Turning to Kombu, she introduced, "Alright, Master Grenwin, if we're finally introducing ourselves… I'm Weiss Schnee, heiress of the Schnee Dust Company. That's Blake Belladonna, Yang Xiao Long, and my partner and Yang's younger half-sister, Ruby Rose." With an adorable smile as she knelt down to the corgi, she added, "And this little adorable fellow right here is Zwei!"

"Arf!" Zwei smiled, glad to not be forgotten.

"An honor to meet you all," Kombu said. "I just wish it was under easier and better circumstances."

"Yeah," Ruby said. "We were just shopping this evening, but that was interrupted by knights and whatever the heck that red-skinned bad guy was."

"A Sith," Kombu scowled. "He is a Master of the Dark Side, a warrior who wishes to plunge your world in darkness."

"He'll have to get in line behind every single Grimm in existence," Yang quipped. "It's a pretty long line."

"This is no joking matter, child of the Raven of Nevermore," Kombu scowled. "Your world is in danger from forces beyond your atmosphere. And they're still hunting you."

"I know," Yang said. "But I wasn't kidding about the Grimm, either."

"I'll keep a look-out," Ruby said, unfolding Crescent Rose.

"A scythe instead of a lightsaber?" Kombu asked.

"It's also a customizable, high-impact sniper rifle," Ruby beamed. "Though your laser swords are pretty cool."

"I only know of one man who wields a dual-functional weapon like that," Kombu said. "…The Void Crow. Do you know him?"

"Void Crow?" Ruby and Yang asked. Yang stepped forward. "Well, there's our uncle, Qrow Branwen, who trained Ruby while our Dad taught me how to fight, but Uncle Qrow's never been called the Void Crow."

"On the contrary," Kombu said. "Qrow Branwen was the real name of the Void Crow. The Mandalorians nicknamed him the 'Void Crow' because of his ability to manipulate shadows and turn into a bird from literally the void."

"Oh…" Ruby said. "Wait, Uncle Qrow is famous in your galaxy!?"

"Him, the Sun Dragon, the Raven of Nevermore, the Spirit of Roses, the Emerald Wizard, the Order Witch, the Woodsman, and the Tin Soldier," Dennis listed off. "Or rather, infamous. Those eight Hunters—Force-users with incredible powers that are rather unique, even by Jedi and Sith standards but stuck to hunting and killing scum—razed hell throughout the galaxy, devastating much of the Empire and parts of the Republic. Even killed the previous Sith Emperor, Darth Maxdi, and bested a rogue Jedi Master… no easy feats. They then just vanished off the grid for twenty years."

"That is so cool," Ruby said.

"Wait, four of those sound familiar," Weiss said. "Emerald Wizard… Order Witch… Woodsman… Tin Soldier…" She gasped. "Prof. Ozpin, Prof. Goodwitch, Prof. Port—that one surprises me—and General Ironwood!?"

"Ruby, Weiss, focus," Blake said. "We could get ambushed any second."

"Oh, right," Ruby said. "Weiss, are you loaded up?" Weiss showed her rapier, all chambers loaded. She then threw Blake a belt of Dust canisters.

"Seeing as how well it worked for you on the train," Weiss explained, "I figured you would want to fully incorporate it into your fighting style." Blake nodded before equipping it to her belt.

"What is that stuff?" Dennis asked. "Looks like some type of colored spice." Weiss handed him a pamphlet.

"Do you just carry those around?" Ruby asked while Dennis awkwardly read the pamphlet and she looked through Crescent Rose's scope.

"You never know when you run into a moron or foreign spacer who has never heard of Dust," Weiss reasoned.

"Wait a minute, you can use this stuff as a power source and in weapons?" Dennis asked, reading the pamphlet. "This Dust stuff sounds useful for something that looks like an illegal drug."

"Something that's not in the pamphlet is that Dust isn't fit for human digestion since its volatile," Weiss said.

"So I've heard," a female voice spoke up. Like the new males entering the scene, this woman was taller than Artemis. However, all four members of Team RWBY, Blake especially, were thrown off guard as this woman was actually a cat-like woman. Her body was fully covered in orange fur, and her orange-brown hair was short at neck length, almost like a little mane. Her yellow eyes were slits, and starred at Blake. "It's been twenty years since I saw this in its grounded form. For some reason, it seems to channel the Force far more than most materials and is more flexible than ordinary Force crystals. However, it is highly explosive… handling it wrong could result in death." Looking at Artemis, she asked, "Are you alright, my Padawan?"

"Yes, Master Citarhi," Artemis nodded. The cat woman turned towards Team RWBY.

"I believe we are not properly introduced," she began. "I am Master Citarhi Rhor, a Sentinel of the Jedi Order. Master Kombu Grenwin is technically a Consular, but he prefers calling himself a member of the Jedi Shadows." Looking at Blake, she said, "I was unaware that there were more Cathar on this planet."

"Cathar?" Blake asked. "What's a Cathar?"

"My species," Citarhi answered. "Most humans consider us 'beastly cat-people'. I sense the feline with in you." Blake unconsciously placed her hands at her ribbon, hiding her second set of ears.

"How did you quickly figure out that I was a Faunus?" Blake asked.

"A Faunus?" the Cathar asked. Blake pulled off her ribbon, exposing her cat ears. "My apologies," Citarhi bowed. "It's just I sensed the cat in you and, well… I know what it's like to be treated like an outcast."

"So you can answer why you're after my little sister?" Yang asked Kombu.

"Your sister?" Kombu asked. "I thought you were just the Raven of Nevermore's daughter. I wasn't aware the Spirit of Roses had **two** daughters."

"I'm her half-sister," Yang corrected. "But Ruby and I were raised by the same Mom for so long that I considered Ruby's Mom my real mom. And what's this Spirit of Roses stuff about, anyway!?"

"I see Natsumi Himura never told you ANYTHING about her past," Kombu said. Ruby and Yang looked at each other.

"Okay, now I KNOW you guys have the wrong girl," Yang said.

"Our mother's name was… or, rather, IS, Summer Rose," Ruby interrupted. "Apparently, Mom wasn't trained at these places called 'Dantooine', 'Tython', or 'Coruscant'. Maybe another Jedi Temple place, but not those. Who's Natsumi Himura?" Citarhi's eyes widened for a moment, but returned to normal.

"Summer Rose," the female Jedi Master said, shaking her head. "She has stuck with that alias for so long, now, that she practically embraces it as her identity. Natsumi, I understand you keeping a promise to not return to the Core Worlds, but blast it, you REALLY didn't teach your daughter anything about who you were so she wouldn't break the treaty."

"Alias!?" Ruby asked. "What do you know about Mom? And please don't tell me you're about to cut off my hand and say you're my real father…"

"No," Kombu said. "The Jedi must remain unattached to things like romantic bonds and emotions, lest they be led to the Dark Side."

"Oh, thank goodness, because I would have more questions for Dad, Uncle Qrow, and Prof. Ozpin than I do right now," Ruby breathed. "Still, what do you know about my Mom?"

"She and I have known each other for a long time," Citarhi confessed.

"And I know of your mother as well, Miss… Rose," Kombu answered. "But I'm surprised she never told you anything, about her, her family, and her childhood. It would have been in her nature to inform you of the lure of the Dark Side. I wonder why a Sith like her would hide it."

"Sith?" Ruby and Yang asked.

"Ruby's Mom was a Sith?" Blake asked, tying her ribbon back on.

"Master Kombu," Artemis spoke up, finally standing and holding his side, "are you saying that the Spirit of Roses is a Sith Lord?"

"She is," Kombu answered. "And not just any ordinary Sith Lord… a rogue one."

"What do you mean by 'a rogue Sith'?" Ruby asked.

"I met your mother when an old friend who recently became one with the Force and I were just Padawans and she was an apprentice Sith," Kombu explained. "She abandoned the Empire after the death of her Master, Darth Imperius—my own former Master's nemesis, who herself was a very confusing Sith Lord. My fellow Padawan, Dohet, thought for a moment that your mother would join the Jedi, as it wasn't uncommon for rogue Sith becoming Jedi to atone… but instead, she ran from the entire galaxy, fighting Sith and Jedi alike. She clung to her passions and emotions like the Sith, but for some reason still followed the Light without falling into the Dark, which made her unpredictable."

"That sounds like Summer," Yang confessed. "She always did go out of her way to help people and was strong with her emotions and beliefs. Baker of cookies, Slayer of monsters." Looking at Ruby, she said, "She was a good mom, Ruby."

"Yeah," Ruby agreed.

"Why did you say she was unpredictable, though?" Weiss asked Kombu.

"Because when she returned to the galaxy after four years of being on the run," Kombu answered, "everyone—Sith, Imperial, Jedi, Republic, even Mandalorian—was caught off guard by her nature during that Great Hunt. Most Sith, we know where they stand, using the Dark Side and are vicious, but Light Sith? They're arguably the most dangerous Sith as you don't know if they're on your side and very easy to underestimate. Where there was once a meek Light Sith girl became in four years one of the most dangerous and powerful Force-users the galaxy had ever seen. She was calculating, charismatic, brave, level-headed, and gentle where she could be according to some, but firm where she was forced to be. And she was not alone when she returned.

"She took full advantage of the Sith infighting, the Imperials' distrust of their Sith overlords, the political failings of the Republic, and even its mistrust of the Jedi Order to get what she wanted done, and all but shattered the Empire, personally killing the Emperor. Furthermore, she no longer fought like just an ordinary Sith, but as something else entirely… something we couldn't match, but her allies could, each a one-man army in their own right. They called themselves, 'Huntsmen' or 'Huntresses', as they stalked their prey, discovered their strengths and weaknesses, studied their behaviors, and struck them down. They were almost Force-using Mandalorians. Many Jedi and far more Sith were vanquished by her and her allies. I too fought the Spirit… only to be bested." He once again lifted the lower part of his right pants leg to show a completely artificial limb. "Yet, she let me live with this as a reminder."

"Whoa," Yang breathed. "So that's how that happened."

"I assure you, it hurts every single night," Kombu said. "I am not as spry as I used to be."

Ruby turned to the Jedi Master, and asked, "So, why are you after me? What did I do if your grudge was with my mom?"

"It's not what you have done, child," Kombu answered, "it's where you stand. And this is no petty grudge, I assure you. I sense the Force is strong within you, but you, like your mother, are confusing. You look like you'd dress similar to the Sith, but you seem to value people over power. There is much potential, but it could be easily corrupted, twisted. There is a great destiny within you… but are you going to endanger the galaxy or save it? Are you the light or are you the dark? The biggest heroine or the greatest villainess? What are you, child?"

"I'm not exactly sure," Ruby answered. "Before all of today, I never even considered space. We have too many issues with Grimm, bad guys, and school to deal with before we can start even thinking about going out of the atmosphere. Humans and Faunus alike have too many problems keeping things safe here to go anywhere else."

"So that explains so much," Artemis answered. "You all are a pre-space flight variation of humanity… no wonder you have never heard of Jedi, Sith, or the Force. This is quite rare."

"I see, Kombu said. "I sense quite a bit of light within you. Still, my question remains unanswered. Seeing as you are the Daughter of the Spirit, you are just as much a potential threat as you would be an ally. Still, the Council should see you for themselves."

"Council?" Ruby asked. "What Council? Is it like the Kingdom's Council that makes political decisions?"

"The Jedi Council does make decisions, yes," Kombu answered. "Many Jedi Masters sit on the Jedi Council to discuss matters of importance to the galaxy. However, we don't govern the galaxy—we leave that to the Republic's Senate and the Supreme Chancellor. Grand Master Yale Shan leads the Jedi Order in this desperate time. She dispatched us to your planet at the request of Chancellor Asasha Bi. As her ancestors have been tied with darkness AND light for almost 1500 years, Grand Master Shan would understand you a lot better than I would, Miss Rose."

"I'm sure she's a nice lady," Yang said, "but we kind of have a more immediate concern. Namely the Sith chasing us through Vale and threatening to take it over. Where is he?"

"Oh, right," Ruby said. She returned to Crescent Rose, looking through its scope. "…I spotted something!" Ruby said. Dennis pulled out a pair of binoculars, and looked in the direction Ruby was.

"…Oh damn," the sergeant breathed, pulling his rifle from his back. "We have war droids and nexu!"

"War droids?" Weiss asked. "As in, you have combat-capable robots in your part of the universe?"

"Unfortunately," Dennis answered. "But that's not the worst part. The worst part is those giant nexu storming through your streets." Ruby continued looking through her scope, and spotted the two large cat-like monsters with a spiny back, and more teeth than necessary running through the streets, ripping cars apart with said teeth, and both sets of their four eyes glowing purple with a strange energy. The cat creatures sniffed around a bit. When they stopped, they looked up towards Ruby and growled before running towards their building.

"Whoa," Ruby said. "How did they find us?"

"Um, Ruby?" Weiss said, pointing behind her. Ruby looked to see part of her cloak was torn off.

"Aw, it's gonna take forever to find the fabric to patch that!" Ruby groaned. "Also, I guess my Semblance's rose petals don't exactly make me untraceable even with my speed." Ruby cocked her sniper rifle. She aimed at the further one.

_**BANG!**_

The nexu dropped with one shot. "You were not kidding about high-impact," Artemis said.

"I don't kid when it comes to Crescent Rose," Ruby said as she looked at the nexu, who jumped onto the building, and began climbing it. The nexu nearly reached the top of the building—

_**BANG!**_

"There!" Ruby said as the nexu fell, landing on its back. If the high-calibur shot blowing a chunk from its body didn't kill it, smashing into the roof of that abandoned truck and breaking its spine certainly did.

"How aren't you breaking your arm?" Dennis demanded.

"Aura," Blake answered. "The short version, it's a manifestation of our souls that can form a protective barrier around us and enhance our attack strength. Everything on Remnant with a soul has an Aura, but not everyone has it unlocked."

"Does that include your pet?" Artemis asked, looking at Zwei.

"Yep!" Ruby smiled, kneeling down and cuddling her corgi. "When we first got him, Yang and I unlocked Zwei's Aura. Yes we did, yes we did!" Zwei licked her face.

Weiss continued, "The only creatures that don't have a soul to unlock their Aura are Grimm."

"Monsters of pure Dark Side energy," Kombu finished for them. "I understand you Huntsmen a lot better now—you HAVE to be sharp on your planet in order to survive them."

"Yeah," Yang smirked. "Now, hopefully, the monsters Ruby just killed will dissolve quick enough and we can get to a better position."

"Dissolve?" Citarhi asked.

"That's what monsters do in your part of the universe when they're killed, right?" Ruby asked. Citarhi shook her head. "…Oh. So, what's the likelihood those bodies are going to be found?" As if on cue, a full squad of black and gray humanoid-shaped droids with the Imperial logo marched to their location. "Nevermind."

Dennis scowled, "Damn it, where is everyone else?"

"_We're dealing with things across town,"_ a male voice spoke up. _"Captain Mont is on her way, but she's finding a sniper spot. Hold out… we'll come to you as soon as we clear a street or two."_

"Well, it's just me and the Jedi guarding the target," Dennis said.

"Oh you're not guarding us," Blake said, unsheathing Gambol Shroud. "We're helping." The four members of Team RWBY quickly jumped off the rooftop, landing in front of the droids. The droids instantly pointed their weapons at the quartet.

"Attention Daughter of Natsumi Himura," one of the droids said, "you are outnumbered. Surrender and submit to the Emperor's will and you and your associates will be unharmed. Resist and we will open fire."

"Um, yeah," Ruby said, "I'm not one-hundred percent sure you'd actually do that… considering how your boss was willing to execute a mom and her daughter."

"…You make a good point," the droid replied. "We were just programmed to say that."

The droids then fired, only for each member of Team RWBY to avoid the blots of plasma, and counterattack in their own ways—Ruby slicing through some droids and firing through a whole line; Weiss impaling a droid, using her glyphs to avoid the droids attacks and firing a few Dust-fueled spells to kill a small squad, Blake making short work of a group with Gambol Shroud's ribbon chain sword mode and dodging with her image projection (sometimes incorporating Dust to make statues that confused her opponents), and Yang being Yang and pummeling several droids, shotgun shells and rage-fueled hits dealing massive damage.

"…Okay, this IS an entire planet of Force-users," Dennis said while watching the four tear through the droids. Zwei then jumped down, head butting a droid down before grabbing the fallen droid's head with his teeth. You can tell just what the results were, but Zwei now had a new toy.

"Good dog!" Ruby beamed before shooting the last droid. The four Jedi and the soldier walked over.

"That was impressive," Citarhi commented. "I see Natsumi passed some tricks onto you. Mainly the speed and quick-thinking."

"I hope you guys don't mind if the rest of us just call her 'Summer'," Yang spoke up. "Because that's going to be confusing."

"I hope we're done with that," Weiss breathed. "We should probably be retreating to Beacon."

"That would be ill-advised," Rumwash interrupted as he walked towards them, holding his lightsaber. He was flanked by his soldiers and a pair of massive, spider-like droids. As in, the droids were both large, stood on eight legs, had cannons on their backs, and looked like massive spiders. "After all… you've irritated me, and everything between me and my target tends to die… horribly."

"The Dark Side has twisted you," Jadecal breathed. "Surrender, Rumwash… it's not too late to turn from it."

"And there goes the typical Jedi bravado," Rumwash waved off. "I am Sith, through and through, and I will destroy the Jedi and crush the Republic once and for all. Speaking of which, Daughter of the Spirit of Roses… I thank you for bringing me four Jedi to kill, one of whom is a traitor to the Empire. Unless, of course, you plan on killing them all."

"Traitor?" Ruby asked. Citarhi stepped forward.

"In case you wished to know how I knew your mother," the Cathar explained, "it was from our time training as Sith. I… left the Empire to join the Jedi after the Sith declared us and our former Master heretics. Natsumi left the galaxy all-together, instead becoming a Huntress… and your mother."

"…I'm learning more about Mom than I thought I would have in one day," Ruby groaned, holding her head. "It's going to take forever to figure out what's real."

"Yeah, you take your time understanding things," Rumwash said. "In the meantime, I'm going to kill these Jedi, that Alderaanian noble soldier, and finally your friends before I drag you to the Emperor."

Artemis stepped in between Rumwash and Ruby, grabbing both of his lightsaber cylinders, which flared light blue. "You won't have her," he said, sinking into a fighting stance. Rumwash took a stance as well, but his left hand—clearly his offhand—was sparking with electricity.

"Ah, a volunteer," Rumwash replied. "I see you prefer Form IV… I'm more of a Form II myself." To his forces, he said, "Feel free to kill everyone but the target and the boy Padawan. I'll deal with this fool." Artemis performed an impressive leap towards Rumwash, bringing his two blades down on Rumwash's one. Meanwhile, the Imperials and the two spider droids turned their attention to Team RWBY and the Jedi. Jadecal quickly grabbed her lightsaber, which glowed bright green. Citarhi had two lightsabers, but they had shorter beams that were sun orange. Kombu's lightsaber was bright green as well, but his was a dual blade.

"Whoa, they make double-sided laser-swords!?" Ruby asked.

"Ruby, focus," Weiss spoke up, triggering her glyph. She used it to grab Ruby, and jump out of the way of gunfire while Yang and Blake ducked out of the way with Dennis.

"Could really use that back-up right about now," Dennis said. "These guys can aim, but there's not much for cover on these streets."

"Hold on," Blake said, flipping Gambol Shroud into gun form. She returned fire, hitting a few droids.

"What is WITH the weapons on this planet!?" the soldier asked before shooting at the Imperials. "I miss when things were simple and the worst I had to look out for was being shot at with a blaster or slashed with a lightsaber. Here, it's both potentially at the same time!"

"With Grimm attacks, it pays to build weapons with multiple functions," Blake offered, dipping into cover. Yang rushed out, punching a few Imperial soldiers with her shotgun gauntlets doing serious damage. "Other people have interesting weapons like my partner who found a way to combine punching and shooting Grimm in the face."

"…And I thought Voss was weird," Dennis said.

Meanwhile, Jadecal and Citarhi were blocking the blaster rounds, deflecting them back towards the soldiers, taking them down with their own attacks. However, the spider-like droids weren't faltering. "Master Citarhi," the female Padawan breathed, "those mechs are going to be trouble."

"Agreed," the Cathar said. She then swiftly moved towards the first spider mech, deflecting its blaster fire, but slid under its belly, slicing its front right legs clean off with her lightsabers, leaving a noticeable sear where she cut. The droid wobbled, but she was far from done. She then sank her right lightsaber into the side, followed by her left slightly above that. Her fingers then extended some sharp claws, which she used to stab into the metal. As she began climbing the droid, it turned its blasters towards her—

Only for a sudden flash of ice to erupt over it, Weiss having leapt on the creature's back. Citarhi seemed mildly surprised. "Listen, I don't exactly trust everything that's come out of your mouths," Weiss explained. "But right now, if you guys really are trying to save Vale… then I suppose we'll have to work together."

"Understandable," Citarhi nodded, having finished climbing up. She then turned towards her lightsabers, telekinetically reaching out with the Force… and had them slice upwards before flying into her hands, before she sank both blades into the droid's head. Both women jumped off the destroyed droid.

"That was amazing," Ruby breathed while blocking a pair of soldiers who rushed at her with bladed weapons. She turned her attention back to her fight, and used the blunt end of Crescent Rose to smack the Imperials out of the way before quickly dodging a barrage of blaster fire.

"We're not done yet," Citarhi interrupted. "Jadecal?"

"Right," the female Padawan said, looking at the two severed legs of the droid. She telekinetically lifted one up, and aimed it at the other droid before throwing out…

However, a lightsaber sliced that in half, courtesy of Rumwash, who took a moment from his duel with Artemis to stop Jadecal. "Like I'd really let a Padawan perform one of the oldest tricks." He then parried Artemis' next attacks before making a slice, which made the male Padawan jump back. However, this was Rumwash's intention, as his left hand shot out a bolt of lightning, shocking Artemis. His agonized screams turned everyone towards him.

"Artemis!" Jadecal yelled. She was about to rush towards him, only to barely avoid being hit by a thrown chunk of debris.

While Artemis knelt in pain, Rumwash jumped towards him, only for Kombu to interfere, blocking the death blow with his own lightsaber. "Do you think I'm afraid of you, old man?"

"You should be," Kombu said before suddenly pushing out, knocking Rumwash back with the Force. The Sith then had both hands crackle with electricity, and he unleashed a storm from his fingertips. Kombu blocked it with his lightsaber, but he could not get closer. Rumwash leapt to attack him, blocking the opposite side of Kombu's lightsaber. But Kombu used this to grab Artemis, and move him out of the way.

"You're outmatched," the Jedi Master warned. "Yield and we will show you mercy."

"I never yield to the Jedi," Rumwash decline. "For you are outnumbered." As if on cue, seven more spider droids were starting to arrive.

"Oh no," Weiss breathed. "We have to fight more of these things?"

"You're weak," Rumwash taunted. "The Light Side will get you nowhere. Selflessness, caring, mercy, compassion… they will only get you a shallow grave and be remembered by no one of importance. Yield and your deaths will be swift." All of the sudden, the other severed leg of the spider droid was lifted with a subtle black glow, and thrown into a droid. "What the—!?"

"Nice move, Jadecal," Citarhi said while deflecting more shots.

"That wasn't me, though," Jadecal replied. "I thought it was you?"

"If it wasn't either of us," Citarhi asked. "Then who—"

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMM!" Nora yelled, falling from the sky and slamming Magnhild, grenade blast and all, into another spider mech, blowing its head off. Nora then landed on the ground, and turned towards Team RWBY and the Jedi. "Hi, guys!"

"Nora!" Ruby grinned. "Boy am I glad to see you!" She then noticed the one girl who was shorter than her in their class had on a pink-tinted combat suit on instead of her usual pink dress, but kept her gloves. "Um, what's that?"

"It's a lightsaber-resistant fiber armor," Citarhi answered in a matter-of-fact tone. "My question is where she got it."

"Prof. Port," Nora smiled.

"Am I the only one who noticed that girl came from nowhere and killed a war machine with one shot and doesn't have a scratch on her?" Dennis asked.

"Yeah, that's Nora," Yang smiled. "If you think we're nuts, she has more than enough crazy." Looking at Nora, who was smashing a smaller battle droid, she asked, "Where's the rest of your team?"

"I'm here," a slightly exhausted Pyrrha said, coming from an alley with Jaune. Like Nora, they were also wearing some type of combat uniforms. Pyrrha's suit was red and she still kept her drapery tail, headdress, and side-pouch. Jaune kept his chestplate, but suit was black with yellow highlights. "Looks like we got here in time."

Ren, wearing a black and green fiber armor suit that had his lotus flower on the back. then landed next to a few smaller droids, and proceeded to gun them down with StormFlower. Rumwash was confounded enough to break off his attempts to kill Kombu and Artemis to look at the reunion of Teams RWBY and JNPR.

Pyrrha sighed, "That... took quite a bit. I don't think I've ever used my polarity on something that big before."

"Polarity?" Citarhi asked. Pyrrha raised a hand to the droid with the leg through its head, and her hand glowed black. The droid leg was surrounded by a black aura, and ripped upwards, slashing it in half.

"That's awesome, Pyrrha," Jaune smirked.

"Jaune, you made it!" Ruby beamed.

"Barely," Jaune apologized. "Sorry we're late… we just managed to hitch a ride with Prof. Port, and you know how he likes to talk." As if on cue, Prof. Port, still in his combat suit, then rushed from the side, and attacked a few Imperials before running further downtown. "He kept mentioning Jedi and Sith."

"So the Woodsman has returned," Citarhi mused. Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren all noticed Citarhi.

"Is that a cat woman?" Ren spoke for all four of them.

"Cathar," Citarhi corrected. "But you were somewhat correct."

"I told you aliens were real!" Nora grinned at Ren. "And you didn't believe me. You owe me, Ren!"

"So, what exactly is going on, here?" Jaune asked, looking at the Sith. "And is that guy… some type of evil alien wizard?"

"Well he does shoot lightning from his hands and likes trying to kill people," Ruby answered.

"Bring all of the allies you'd like, Daughter of the Spirit of Roses," Rumwash said, walking towards them. "I will still have you after I kill them all."

"Who IS this guy?" Jaune asked.

"Come to learn the name of who will kill you?" the Sith asked. "Good… know that I am Rumwash, a powerful Sith, and you will be a forgotten memory, boy." With that, he began running towards a wide-eyed Jaune, lightsaber drawn.

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: And this is just part one of this battle! What will happen to Teams RWBY and JNPR next time? And will Summer, Naywi, Qrow, Ozpin, or Havoc Squad make it in time to help? You'll have to find out later.

So, this was another re-written chapter. I originally had this be a fight between Team RWBY and Kombu, where the four girls just beat Jadecal and Artemis... where he won, but was stopped from taking Ruby by Yang's Semblance and Qrow's interference. However, with the Jedi temporarily allied with Team RWBY to fight Rumwash, I said, "It no longer makes sense for Kombu, despite his negative history with Summer, to try to take Ruby by force."

Speaking of Rumwash, he's not making things easy. There's an implied fight in other districts of Vale, and he's just declared that a retreat to Beacon would just make him kill everyone between him and Beacon. This was to establish him as a somewhat credible threat, though not on the same level as Cinder or Torchwick. You'll see why soon enough. So, I'd had to haul in the big guns... Team CFVY and Peter Port.

I wanted to introduce Team CFVY—or, more specifically, Coco and Velvet—having a Bechdel Test-passing moment with PENNY of all people. But with Rumwash making Vale complicated, I figured having one of the best younger teams getting involved early was the better option. The conversation will still happen, but they'll have a little bit more of a grasp as to what is going on.

Speaking of people who have a better grasp than the original drafts, Team JNPR. In the original draft, they weren't involved in this battle at all since it was just Team RWBY vs. Kombu. They were then brought in by Summer meeting them and asking them to give Ruby a holo-communicator. However, Rumwash stepped up the threat meter, and Ruby literally called them into the adventure. Oh, and the anti-lightsaber gear they have now is only temporary. Hopefully, I'll get better-sounding stuff for them later.

Finally, the big shocker: Naywi joining Summer's little squad. What's this little Padawan doing with Summer Rose—or rather, Natsumi Himura (For those who want to know what the hell I was thinking, her name was originally the Latin Aestate Rosae, but I liked a Japanese-sounding name better)? You'll have to find out later.

Because now, I answer reviews.

**A.K.b00m:** Glad I'm not alone. But does this mean that Ironwood had an additional reason beyond mistrust to betray Ozpin?

**RedemptionWarrior:** Aura certainly helps the weapons on Remnant to resist lightsaber strikes. It's to prevent an otherwise curbstomp that the Huntsmen and Huntresses would be on the recieving end of when facing Jedi and Sith since I've established that the younger generation on Remnant (and even a good deal of the older ones) have no idea of the Jedi and Sith. Though I will laugh if Dr. Oobleck's coffee gets cold and he responds by using a lightsaber to warm up a thermos before smacking the Force-user in the face.

**anthonyluna29:** Define "losing his torso". Do you mean he's going to get a hilariously large hole in his chest? That I'll give him the _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_ treatment? That I'll slash him in half from the waist up? Because we all know he'll probably die towards the end of the story.

Well, that's all I got for right now. Farewell, my subjects!


	6. Chapter 6: Introductions and Reunions

A/N: And now, we continue the Battle of Vale, starting with answering what's happened with Team CFVY and Havoc Squad.

* * *

**City of Vale—Residential District—18:06**

Pandemonium reigned throughout the city. Many citizens were doing their best to run from the Imperials, who were searching throughout the town for Team RWBY. They weren't aware Rumwash had already found them, but the Imperals were prepared to search everywhere, especially knowing Jedi were on the planet.

"For the Republic!" a male voice yelled.

_**BOOM!**_

A group of Imperial droids exploded, causing the human soldiers to turn their heads to the source of the grenade. They spotted a white-and-orange armored Republic soldier, holding a grenade launcher. The man, a humanoid with orange skin, horns sticking from his dark hair, green eyes, and a lightly tanned complexion. Three scars adorned the outside of his right eye. The man stood on top of a mountain of droid parts.

Out from the shadows was a human woman with brown skin, a freckled face, brown eyes, and brown hair in a short ponytail wearing white armor as well, with a blaster pistol in one hand, a combat knife in the other. There was an obvious implant on the side of her left eye.

The Imperial soldiers turned their guns towards him while he aimed his own blaster at them. "Looks like a couple Pubs, boys!" the leader of the Imperial squad smirked. "Just in time for a little target practice."

"I think you underestimate Havoc Squad," the horned man answered. "Isn't that right, Captain Mont?"

_"Dropping one,"_ the woman Yang befriended outside the _Lit Candle Bookstore_ said over the radio.

_**BANG!**_

An Imperial soldier suddenly dropped dead, courtesy of a sniper shot. The leader of the Imperal Squad scowled. "I was going to give you a fair death, Republic dog," the Imperial said, "and send your remains to your next of kin. However, now? You're going to be dumped in the river of some backwater planet in the middle of nowhere."

"Backwater?" a female voice spoke up. Both sides looked to see Coco Adel casually walking towards them. "I'm sorry, but did you just call my planet 'backwater'? This coming from a bunch of guys dressed in an ugly gray and red uniform? Seriously, that was out of style 5 generations ago when it was first released, and it's sure not stylish now."

"...What the hell?" the Imperial leader asked.

"Hold your fire, Captain," the horned man ordered. "Civilian."

"Oh, I'm not a civilian," Coco assured him, tilting her sunglasses down. "In fact, I'm the leader of the counter-attack squad. By the way, which of you is responsible for tearing up my hometown? Before you answer, my mission is to capture or kill the side who did. You've got one chance to drop your weapons and surrender. Otherwise, well, things will get messy."

The Imperial soldiers laughed. "You're kidding!" the leader of the Imperial squad laughed. "Your local government sent a girl to destroy an army? Run along, girlie, and you won't break a nail."

"Cute," Coco smirked. She flipped her handbag into a mini-gun, much to the shock and horror of the Imperials and the amazement of the Republic soldiers. As the gun began to rotate, she finished, "But I'm not a 'little girl'. I'm a Huntress."

The Imperials were caught so off guard by this that they barely had any time to run from the mini-gun, which proceeded to tear into them. Some of the Imperials and a lot of the battle droids were gunned down, but their leader got behind cover.

"Holy hell," the horned humanoid said. "Specialist?"

"Hang on," the woman said, touching her implant. A holographic screen appeared in front of her. "Hacking into the world's network... easy enough, and... by the stars. How many confirmed kills does this young woman have? That's a ton of bodies of these Grimm creatures... and human terrorists."

As Coco switched her weapon to bag mode, she ducked behind cover. "And that's just me," Coco said. "Wait until you see my team."

As if on cue, Velvet jumped down from a nearby building, and kicked an Imperial trooper in the face. Before one with a sword could attack her, a large green and brown blur stood in front of her, blocking the slash with an armguard. Yatsuhashi then drew his giant sword, and slammed it on the ground, causing a mini-earthquake that threw the Imperials in the air. Before they could move, Fox swooped in, slashing quite a few Imperials with his blades. The leader's pants were stained with a wet patch as he watched his battalion torn apart by the trio.

"Whoa," the horned man breathed. "I'll be damned."

"Thanks," Coco said. "So, where's the next squad?" She was answered by a few spider walkers approaching. "Huh. Neat. This may actually make me sweat a little."

"Coco?" Velvet nervously asked. "What's the plan?"

"You got a name?" the fashionista asked the horned man.

"Garmon Steele, Havoc Squad Commander and Galactic Republic Forces," the horned man answered. "I'm a Zabrak. This is my tech specialist, Iris. The woman I was talking to before is Captain Cynthia Mont, our latest recruit."

"Coco Adel," Coco said. "Alright, Commander, my good friend Velvet here is a little skittish about fighting those things for good reasons... they're huge and they're giant unpiloted mechs with their guns on us. Doesn't help that she's a little shy in the first place. No offense, Velvet."

"None taken," Velvet smiled at her friend and team leader.

Coco turned to Steele, and asked, "So, how do we kill them? We have to hurry this up so we can meet back up with the extraction team."

"Extraction team?" Steele asked, aiming his grenade launcher at the large droids.

"Yeah," Coco said, switching back to her mini-gun. The two began shooting at the droids, doing quite a bit of damage. Eventually, they got behind cover, and Team CFVY bunkered next to the two Havoc Squad soldiers while Mont continued sniping any more Imperials coming their way. Coco explained, "A rookie team of Huntresses that I like—Team RWBY—got ambushed by this red wizard guy, then the guy—who I'm assuming you don't work for—"

"You'd be right," the woman, Iris, nodded.

"—sent soldiers to look for them. I don't know nor really care why these guys are after Team RWBY, but those four first-years are pretty cool, Beacon students don't leave each other hanging, and these soldiers nearly destroyed my second favorite clothing store. My mission is to push these guys back, while a second team gets Team RWBY back to Beacon. Hopefully, the Arc kid is up to it."

"Arc kid?" Steele questioned.

"Coco, RPG!" Velvet yelled, spotting an Imperial with an RPG. Before he could fire, he was suddenly shot in the head.

"Nice shot, Captain," Steele smirked.

_"You can buy me a drink when we get back to Republic territory,"_ Mont smirked. _"Hold on, second RPG."_ They spotted another shooter with an RPG. However, another shot struck the Imperial, who, in his dying moment, shot a round that flew towards an abandoned car and blew that up. _"Holy crap! Nice shot, other sniper."_

"Other sniper?" Iris asked. "Captain, are you sure you're not showing off?"

_"Specialist, I'm good, but I'm not that good,"_ Mont said. _"I was in the middle of reloading. Hold on... I think I found her. White cloak, redhead, silver eyes, roof three buildings down from your left, Commander. She seems to be more interested in ruining the Imperials' day, but... should I take the shot?"_ Steele looked where he was directed, and spotted the sniper Mont described, holstering her rifle, but spotted an abandoned truck. She reached out her left hand, which caused the truck to suddenly levitate up to her floor. A brown blur suddenly jumped on the truck, ran across it, and landed on an adjacent roof. The white cloaked woman jumped on the truck as well, but her boots seemed to magnetize to the surface. She didn't immediately run, instead trying to keep her balace while walking across and keeping her hand extended. While Team CFVY all in general looked in awe, Velvet in particular stared with excitement. _"__And our sniper is a Force-user. Heh, didn't know we had another Jedi, let alone they trained in marksmanship."_

"That's because we don't have another Jedi and Jedi don't normally use blasters," Steele replied. "White cloak, red hair, silver eyes, Force-user, marksman, and female? Captain... we just saw the Spirit of Roses."

_"By the stars."_ The white-cloaked woman landed on the other roof, and turned towards the truck she still had floating. She then dropped it with full force on one of the spider droids, crushing it. She turned around, held up a Scroll.

_"Lisa Lavender reporting from the skies above Vale,"_ Lisa commented over the propellors of an airship. _"The worst of the fighting is being countered by the Atlesean military. However, the villain responsible for this attack and Team RWBY are engaged in mortal combat in the heart of Vale's commercial district. Joining Team RWBY's side are two more cloaked figures, one of whom seems to be some type of super-Faunus with... quite a bit of fur, as well as some elite soldier and fellow young Huntsmen team, Team JNPR. Civilians are advised to stay off the streets and avoid the commercial district at all costs."_

"They're in the commercial district!" the woman yelled, running across the roof, her cloak swooshing in a cape fashion.

'(Could it have been...?)' Velvet asked. '(It was... she's returned. The woman who saved me at Titan's Claw... she said she'd come back, but now?)'

"Sounds like she's found Teams RWBY and JNPR," Coco smirked, bringing Velvet out of her thoughts with a smile. "Hope the Arc kid can last until that lady arrives as back-up because that was awesome."

"Who is this Arc kid?" Iris asked.

"Coco just calls him that," Velvet explained. "His first name is—"

* * *

**Commercial District—18:09**

"Jaune!" both Pyrrha and Ruby yelled as they spotted Rumwash's charge. They were about to run towards him, only for a group of soldiers to begin firing at them. Both girls quickly got into cover, Pyrrha thanks to her shield and Ruby thanks to her speed, before returning fire with Miló and Crescent Rose, respectively. Weiss, Blake, Yang, Ren and Nora, meanwhile, focused on helping them return fire.

Luckily for everyone, Jaune, thanks to Pyrrha's training, instinctively drew his sword, clashing Crocea Mors against the lightsaber. Rumwash continued pressing his attack, only for Jaune, who was running through everything Pyrrha taught him a mile a minute, to continue parrying before Rumwash kicked him to the ground. And even then, Jaune quickly got up, grabbed Crocea Mors just in time to block the final lightsaber swing.

"That worked?" Jaune asked, legitimately surprised as he pushed up against the lightsaber, allowing himself to stand up. "I thought that was a laser sword!"

"Seriously?" Rumwash demanded. "Lightsabers are supposed to be blades of pure plasma! What is with this backwater world's weapons that I can't just slice through like a vibroknife through a banta steak?"

"Um, don't you mean a hot knife through butter?" Jaune offered. Rumwash's yellow eyes glared into Jaune's blue ones. "What?"

"We're going to perform a bit of improvisation," the Sith declared after a few moments, grabbing some dirt from the nearby ground. "You're a helpless Wookiee cub separated from his mother. I'm a drunken pirate who just landed on Kashyyyk looking for a nice slave. And go." First came the dirt, which struck Jaune in the face and temporarily blinded him. Before he could recover, Jaune barely bit back the scream of pain as he felt the sudden knee just below the belt. This was followed up by an uppercut. Rumwash finished by punching Jaune in the right side of the face, the force of the blow sending the knight tumbling several yards away. "And scene."

"No fair! He didn't get in character, yet!" Nora yelled.

"Nora, that really shouldn't be your real concern," Ren said.

"No!" Pyrrha yelled. Turning to the equally horrified Ruby, she said, "Ruby, cover me!"

Ruby nodded, before waving her scythe in the air. "Hey, giant robot monster things!" The spider droids turned towards her. "You want me? You're gonna have to catch me!" Ruby then began running towards them, easily dodging the blaster fire with her incredible speed. With it, she passed by all of them, performing a spin as she did and gathering up wind. Everyone who knew Ruby except Jaune (who was still on the ground) held something and their temporary Republic allies as the wind picked up, and the force behind it suddenly sent many Imperial soldiers flying and crashing into walls, which had slight dents into them and glass breaking from a sonic boom as Ruby stopped, turned around, and headed for the stunned war droids. Ruby then began slashing at one's legs. Each of her strikes were fueled with so much power by her Semblance and her recoil-enhancement that two legs came off with one slash each. Eventually, the droid was on the ground with eight severed legs littering the street.

"Whoa," Dennis spoke for everyone. Pyrrha, meanwhile, took for Jaune.

Rumwash then turned off his lightsaber and began approaching the downed Jaune, who was beginning to get up. Rumwash, not having it, kicked Jaune in the chin, sending him back to the ground. Sure, Aura helped, but it wasn't stopping Rumwash's assault, especially with a Force Push that slammed his back against the solid concrete of a now abandoned pizza place. Rumwash then pressed his attack with the Force, hitting Jaune several times to just to torture him a little. When Rumwash finally reached Jaune, he slammed a fist into the young knight's face with surprisingly enough force to crack the brick wall behind Jaune. Jaune fell to the ground, coughing in agony. Rumwash grabbed Jaune by the hair, and pulled him to a sitting position.

"You idiotic, feculent, impure waste of skin," Rumwash spat before kicking Jaune again once per word, this time in the ribs against the wall. "How dare you joke with a Sith!?" Jaune's back and chest hurt like hell, and he was starting to show signs of bruising. He was running low on Aura with Rumwash's beatdown. By the time Rumwash stopped brutally beating Jaune, his Scroll fell out of his pocket to reveal there was barely a sliver of his Aura left, and his right eye was beggining to turn purple. "If not for your sword, I would have killed you already. You're not a fighter, boy. Those sword swings you made were parries of my own… you didn't even attempt to strike me. Your pathetic skills cannot hope to match the true power of the Dark Side. And now, fool… you will die." Rumwash's hands began to crackle as the purple. Pyrrha finally reached him, and Rumwash sensed her. He turned around, and fired his lightning. The champion barely dodged out of the way of it, turning Miló into its sword form and blocking Rumwash's lightsaber. "Okay, this is getting old quite fast. I should be killing people a lot faster on this planet."

"You will not harm him," Pyrrha angrily declared, blocking his next strike. The two's blades clashed for a good three minutes before Pyrrha turned her weapon into its spear form, and tossed it at Rumwash's head. The Sith used the Force to stop the toss mere inches from his pointed nose, and he flipped it around towards her. Pyrrha, with the agility and accuracy that she was blessed with (plus her Semblance), caught Miló in time to block a final lightsaber strike. "And you sure are not going to take Ruby ANYWHERE. I swear it."

"…You two girls fancy the boy, don't you?" Rumwash asked. This threw Pyrrha off guard enough for him to Force Push her back a few feet, but Pyrrha managed to stay on her feet. "What do you see in him? He is a fool, a weakling, and a failure. No place in the coming changes to your society. When we rule this planet, he would be reaped anyway, so what I'm really doing is a favor. He is clearly beneath you, yet you defend him."

"So what if Jaune doesn't fight well?" Pyrrha shot back. "He's willing to learn. And he's not a failure… he just needs practice, and has skills in other areas beyond fighting, areas that I, despite my gifted nature, can't possibly hope to achieve. Besides, we as Hunters have to protect those around us, especially the helpless, from the monsters. Whether these monsters are pure darkness like Grimm… or ruthless warriors like you."

"Those who defend the weak are just as doomed as those who are weak," Rumwash spat. He then performed another Force Push, this time pressing Pyrrha against a wall. However, Pyrrha couldn't step forward, as a sudden grip found itself around her neck. She noticed that Rumwash's free hand had been extended, and was making a clenching motion towards her before turning back to the semi-conscious Jaune. "And for that… you will watch before I stike you down." Rumwash turned his lightsaber on. "Time to die, fool."

"J…Jaune!" Pyrrha choked out, causing Team RWBY's four members, Nora and Ren, Dennis, and the Jedi, to all look towards this. However, they were all nearly occupied by the Imperial soldiers Ruby missed and the spider droids. Except for two.

Artemis began running towards Jaune and Rumwash. But he wasn't going anywhere near fast enough because of his injuries. Ruby stabbed the spider droid she was fighting in the head, leaving Crescent Rose there, and began running as well. However, she had a bigger distance to cover since she had attacked the droids head-on as a distraction.

Neither could reach Jaune in time.

But Jaune reacted to Pyrrha's shout, regaining some form of consciousness. He looked to see Pyrrha being Force Choked by Rumwash and how the Sith had a lightsaber ready to slice him in two. Jaune felt both adrenaline and anger he didn't exactly have since Cardin tried to make him hurt Pyrrha in order to keep his forged transcripts a secret. Except this time, he was prepared.

The blonde knight barely ducked out of the way of the lightsaber, which caught his chestplate but—for reasons he didn't know but would be glad later—didn't cut through. While Rumwash was confused, Jaune grabbed his sheath to turn into shield form. This allowed him to block Rumwash's second strike with it. Jaune grabbed Crocea Mors' sword with his right hand.

Rumwash looked at the shield block with utter surprise. "You have got to be—"

_**SLICE!**_

Rumwash was cut off by his own roar of pain after Jaune slashed him on the chest, drawing blood, and dropping Pyrrha, who could breathe normally. Jaune then kicked him away. "That," Jaune said, "was the second scene where the mother Wookiee—whatever that is—found the pirate attacking her cub... I think."

Rumwash, meanwhile, held his wound, dropping his lightsaber again. This time Zwei ran over, grabbed the turned off blade and sat down as Ruby approached. The Imperials, the Jedi, and even Teams RWBY and JNPR all were stunned. Pyrrha also approached, helping the blonde knight up while Zwei presented Rumwash's lightsaber to her.

"Good boy," Ruby smiled, putting it in her pouch.

"You got lucky, fool," Rumwash spat. "You'll pay for this." He then held up his left hand, which began cackling electricity… only for it to short out. "…What?"

"Uh, was that supposed to do something?" Jaune questioned, having not seen Rumwash's earlier use of lightning.

"You should be at the very least screaming in absolute agony!" the Sith spat. "Why aren't you screaming in absolute agony!? What did you do!?"

"Um, cut you?" Jaune asked. "Why didn't you have your Aura up? I'm… not the brightest guy, but even I knew not to fight without it."

"What in blazes is Aura!?" Rumwash asked. The young Huntsmen and Huntresses all looked at each other. "No matter! Droids! Kill everyone!"

"But my lord," one of the soldiers said, "we were supposed to capture the daughter alive—"

**"EVERYONE!"** Rumwash ordered. The six remaining spider droids began approaching. Ruby reached for Crescent Rose, but realized she didn't have it.

"Um, where's my sweetheart?" Ruby asked. Jaune pointed to the downed droid with the scythe sticking out of its head. "Oh… darn, I was in such a rush, I forgot it was there."

"For the love of—" Weiss started.

"Run!" Blake yelled, grabbing her and Yang by the wrists. The droids aimed at them, and the explosion right behind them from the large blast threw the three in the air. Luckily, the three were able to quickly land on their feet, but they plus Ruby realized they were beginning to fatigue.

"This isn't good," Weiss said. "Should we use that…?"

"I don't think so," Yang shook her head. "We still haven't gotten the Aura-Dust ratio down enough to use it without knocking the wind out of all of us. And we can't use it without Crescent Rose to aim."

"Ugh, a team attack that requires that much effort to aim down a straight line?" Weiss asked. "What was Ruby thinking when she designed it?"

"I was thinking the Lioness Cannon was a good idea for a target that was really big… you know, like those Goliaths I saw," Ruby confessed, coming over.

"Basically, you designed an attack to kill large Grimm that we'll only have one chance to hit with before they kill all of us and hope that it doesn't miss," Weiss said. "Figures the girl who'd launch herself at a Nevermore would come up with it."

"And that's not even mentioning the charge time," Blake added. "We won't have that luxury with these things firing at us." The droids fired again, and the four were thrown off their feet, landing a few feet away but in mild pain. "We have to get out of here!"

"There is no escape for you!" Rumwash taunted. "You all will die!"

_**WHAM!**_

One of the droids received a giant punch, courtesy of an Atlesian Paladin, General Ironwood at the controls. He then proceeded to double tap the downed spider droid by firing a few missiles into its chasis before strolling away. Before the other spider droids could attack the Paladin, a giant black crow landed on a second droid, ripping through its lower body before exploding into shadowy feathers that knocked down several Imperial soldiers to reveal a smaller figure, which stabbed a huge sword into its head before ripping the sword through its body. The figure then jumped towards the droid Ruby killed, plucking Crescent Rose from the droid, and throwing it right for Ruby, the scythe blade planting itself in the ground right in front of her.

The man then jumped off the droid with a recoil shot, and landed in front of Ruby, resting the giant sword on his shoulder, while Ruby and Yang looked surprised and excited. "Uncle Qrow!?" Ruby gasped.

"Hey, Little Wolf," Qrow Branwen said, hugging Ruby and Yang each with a chuckle. "Not gonna lie… you, your sister, and your friends did a lot of damage." Looking at the Jedi, he added, "But I'm not a huge fan of the… company you're currently keeping."

"The Void Crow," Kombu nodded. "You sure made an entrance."

"Don't think I've spent the past twenty years relaxing," Qrow replied. His shadow seemed to begin twitching. "I have the feeling you've been getting stronger, too. I thought losing your leg would force you into retirement… yet here you are, still capable."

"Your tone is unappreciated," Kombu replied. "But you are correct… I've stepped out into the front lines once more. You weren't this joking when you were younger."

"Twenty years and helping a single father go through widowhood TWICE kind of forced me to adopt a sense of humor," Qrow explained. "Taiyang was a wreck after Summer died. Now… state your business, Jedi."

"Don't ignore me!" Rumwash growled. Qrow's shadow suddenly shot out, and a dark fist slammed into Rumwash's face.

"Son, I will deal with you in a moment," the black-cloaked reaper waved off, and the shadows restrained the droids so they couldn't fire. The Imperials were too afraid to deal with fighting the Void Crow... and none of them really liked Rumwash, anyway, so this worked out for them. Turning to Kombu, he said, "You broke our accord, Kombu. You, Citarhi, these two rookies straight from… where were you two trained?"

"I'm from the Coruscant Temple," Jadecal explained.

"I was trained on Tattooine," Artemis confessed.

"The Republic's capital and the desert world nobody likes," Qrow finished. "The point here is we had a deal. We Huntsmen stay out of the Core Worlds except for when we have a problem or when Mandalore calls me, you stay away from my world. Is the Empire beating you so badly that you came to us? Or is it my nieces you're after? Either way…" Sinking into a fighting stance with the giant blade, he said, "Give me a reason why I shouldn't kill you right now."

"Must this end in violence?" Citarhi asked the Void Crow.

"Hey, I'm at least giving you a chance to explain," Qrow responded. "I know a few of my old friends—James because you'd represent a Republic invasion, Taiyang because you're a potential threat to his family, and Peter because he's crazy—who'd immediately kill you all. I just want to know what you're doing here, and why I shouldn't join their side."

"Qrow," Ozpin's voice interrupted, "we should at least give the Jedi some form of hospitality." Ozpin walked towards the group, looking somewhat relieved. "I'm sure the Republic has a good reason for coming to Remnant."

"The Wizard, too," Kombu said. "This is quite the unexpected reunion."

"I'm now the Headmaster of Beacon Academy, which trains young Huntsmen and Huntresses like these students," Ozpin said. "I take it you're now Jedi Masters?" The two older Jedi nodded. "And these are your Padawans?" The two Padawans nodded. "I'm Prof. Ozpin, the infamous 'Emerald Wizard'. The man next to me is Qrow Branwen, also known as the Void Crow."

"Stop ignoring me!" Rumwash snarled. He tried electrifying Ozpin, but the Headmaster casually moved his head from the small bolt, and brought his cane to the side of Rumwash's head.

"Do not do that again," Ozpin warned. He then turned to the Jedi, and said, "I hope you're willing to explain a solid reason why you're here besides one of my students."

"Wait, Uncle Qrow and Prof. Ozpin," Yang asked, "you really know these guys?"

"A long story," Qrow said. "But let's just say we've been around the galaxy." The group was interrupted by Qrow's shadow binds being broken by the droids. "And my shadows ran out. Hold on, this will take a few minutes." The droids aimed their blasters at him—

Only for a brown and green blur to suddenly slam onto one of the droids. The blur was a green skinned alien girl with small diamond tattoos adorning her face like freckles, short darker green hair in a ponytail, and a yellow lightsaber in her hands, which she promptly used to cleanly slash the droid's head off. The girl then leapt off the destroyed droid, and landed in a three-point stance in front of the two stunned Padawans before turning off her lightsaber.

"Naywi?" they asked.

"Hi, Artemis, Jadecal," the girl smiled, almost sounding awkward. Looking at the Jedi Masters, she politely bowed. "Greetings, Masters."

"Naywi?" Citarhi asked. "I thought you returned to Tython after… Dohet. Grand Master Shan didn't inform us that you were coming to join us here on Remnant."

"That's because I didn't exactly… report straight to Grand Master Shan," Naywi answered, twiddling her fingers. "Um, Master Citarhi… please don't freak out when I explain this. I've been on Remnant since the Breach here in Vale… studying under an oddly unique Master."

"…You've got to be kidding me," Citarhi shook her head with a smile.

"Master?" Artemis asked. "The droids are still online." The group looked to see the droids were aiming at them. However, they began floating in midair, and their guns suddenly floating away.

"Neat, Pyrrha," Ruby beamed.

"…Um, that's not me," Pyrrha corrected. "I can only use my Semblance on one large thing at a time."

"Jadecal?" Ruby asked.

"Not me," the female Padawan shook her head.

"Artemis?"

"No," the male Padawan denied.

"It wasn't me, either," Citarhi said before Ruby asked her. She looked at Naywi, who only smiled.

"Then who?" Ruby asked. Naywi pointed up. Qrow looked up, spotting a figure with a white cloak standing on top of a nearby building. Her cloak flowing behind her, they could tell she was wearing a red tunic underneath it. She also had a red knee-length "combat skirt" over a pair of white tights and black boots on her feet. On her back was a sniper rifle that she had just taken off. Everyone else looked up as well while she threw the sniper rifle to Naywi. The Mirialan caught it.

"I think I know," Qrow answered, switching his sword into scythe form. "I think you're in for a treat, ladies and gentlemen… Lucky Bloom!" The cloaked figure reached out a hand, and clenched it shut. The spider droids suddenly impacted together, but were still floating. Qrow used his own recoil to swing up while the white cloaked person jumped down the building, a silver lightsaber drawn. Both stabbed the floating cluster from opposite ends. The two then, with impressive speeds that only Team RWBY's four fighters could really track—began slicing the droids in several spots. The droids were probably already defunct, but the two weren't done yet. They flipped off the droids, landing in front of the group, the cloaked figure's hand still clenched as they turned to the droids. "Ozpin?"

"On it," Ozpin said, not even questioning what just happened and slamming his cane in the ground. As if on cue, a giant wall of green emeralds sprouted from the ground, setting up a barricade that still allowed them to see the droids. "No civilians in the streets, you can let go."

"Gladly," the white cloaked figure said in a woman's voice. With that, she released her clenched hand, which caused droid parts to burst out from the cluster, which proceeded to litter the streets and crash into the emerald wall. She looked at the Imperials, and said two words while pointing her lightsaber at them. "Surrender. Now." A lot of them dropped their weapons. She turned off her lightsaber, clipping it to her side similar to that of a katana, and waved her hand. "You will kick your weapons away, and kneel."

"…We will kick our weapons away and kneel," the Imperial soldiers all droned, doing just that. Naywi handed the white cloaked woman her sniper rifle, and she holstered it. The woman then turned towards Team RWBY, spotting Ruby and Yang looking confused. She began walking towards them.

"Don't listen to her, you fools!" Rumwash yelled at his men while the barrier disappeared into the ground. "We can still destroy these scum! We can still take the Spirit of Roses' daughter! Attack!"

The woman stopped, looked at Rumwash, and asked, "Do you wish to continue this? Even a drunken Houk could tell that you've lost this day, what with you still bleeding, your connection to the Force being damaged, and you've been repeatedly hit. This is like sabacc. You have to know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em. Right now, I suggest you do the latter before we both do something we're going to regret."

"I will not surrender to the likes of you!" Rumwash scowled. He then tried to rush her, but she grabbed his extended right punch by his wrist before slamming her left fist in his stomach.

"You lead too much with your punch," she said, extending his right arm while he gasped in agony. "Now I see why for young Mr. Arc, you fought dirty... you're afraid you're not skilled enough in hand-to-hand. Again, young man, stand down..." she placed her left elbow above his forearm. "...or else."

"You wouldn't dare touch me, you slave wh—"

_**CRACK!**_

Rumwash yelled as the bone pierced his skin. "I've only been with one man my entire life," the woman replied with a huff. "Sure I had a crush on a Jedi when I was younger, but it just didn't go anywhere. Now sit down." To emphasize her point, she suddenly lowered her hand, and Rumwash suddenly found himself forced down.

"H...How!?" Rumwash growled. "How are you doing this!?"

"I studied plenty of Force rituals," the woman explained. "Sure, I cannot use Force lightning like you, never was able... but I'm still quite able to manipulate an object's gravity. My own, yours, anything smaller than a city. I can keep a house up in the sky or make a feather weigh as much as a cannon. Now, stay for a little bit." She released Rumwash, who began breathing heavily. "I have someone to talk to." Looking at Qrow and Ozpin, she said, "I know what you two are going to say… and, well… let me have my moment before you chew me out."

"…You have ten minutes," Qrow said, putting away his scythe. "We'll keep anyone from doing anything we don't like." The woman nodded before turning back to Team RWBY and continued her approach.

"Um, who is that?" Blake asked Ruby and Yang, who were both stunned by the white cloak, the control over gravity, and how she knew an attack formation without even flinching. Before either girl could answer, they both suddenly started floating, and giggling while the white cloaked woman reached out in the air and made motions with her fingers. She then began running towards the two girls, and leapt up, embracing them in a hug.

"M… Mom!" Ruby laughed as they all gently returned to the earth. "You remembered that I'm ticklish…"

"…And you and Yang have both grown into beautiful young women, my Little Wolf," Summer Rose, formerly Natsumi Himura, smiled. Ruby and Yang each returned the hug. When the two let her go, she lowered her hood, revealing her red hair and brand. She looked just like Ruby, only older, with brighter and longer red hair, and a brand on the side of her face. "I'm glad to see you too, my little Dragonling."

"Mom, not the nicknames!" Yang blushed. "I have am image. And besides, I'm taller than you."

"Only by two inches," the 5'6" Summer pointed out to her 5'8" foster daughter. Looking at both of her daughters, she sighed. "I'm incredibly sorry you had to find out the truth of my origins like… well, this." She gestured to the entire ruined street. "Glynda's not going be happy with any of this." Turning back to her daughters, she continued. "I tried to stop this from all happening, I really did. But… things got complicated."

"We're Huntresses," Ruby said, "things are always complicated." Zwei barked in agreement. Summer's heart instantly melted.

"Aw, you have a dog living with you forever?" Summer asked, leaning down to pet Zwei. "He's so adorable… did Taiyang get him to replace Arr-zero?"

"Dad," Ruby and Yang answered while Zwei licked Summer where her brand was.

Ruby added, "He's named Zwei, by the way."

"So would that make you Team RWBYZ?" Summer asked. The girls giggled. The blond brawler then realized something.

"Mom, you know about Arr-zero?" Yang asked.

"Yeah, he's been with me," Summer explained. "Sorry he wandered off without any explanation. He must have went back to my ship without even saying I was alive as he was making repairs to it. Then again, neither of you spoke fluent droid, so there was that. At least you have another pet."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Weiss said as she and Blake came over. "Let me get this straight. YOU'RE Summer Rose… a woman who started as a Sith but then became a Huntress of legend?"

"It's a story I don't like being reminded of," Summer confessed. "But yes. I've seen you two on the Scroll pages about last week's Breach. You're Ruby and Yang's teammates, right? Weiss Schnee and Blake Belladonna?"

"Yes," Blake nodded. "I'm Yang's partner, and Weiss and Ruby are partners." The two suddenly were lifted off their feet by the Force, and dragged into a hug by Summer. "And I see where Ruby and Yang got their affectionate natures from..." Blake blushed after she broke it.

"Indeed," Weiss agreed, awkwardly brushing her dress.

"Ah, the traditional 'opposites attract' partner scheme," Summer mused. "Reminds me of my husband's loud wackiness and me having to deal with it despite my shy and brainy nature, while Raven and Qrow had foolish and responsible down pact way before they were assigned to be partners… despite Qrow wanting to be with Ozpin."

"Not gonna lie, that rule sucked," Qrow said. "Lucky for me, I could deal with Raven… she's still alive too, isn't she?"

"Yes, but you said you'd give me a moment," Summer chided him.

"Before chewing you out, yes," Qrow said. "Though I'm questioning why you have a Padawan with you?" Summer looked at Naywi, who rubbed her arm.

"Naywi thought it would be best to 'keep an eye on me for the Jedi' while working on her training if she followed me," Summer explained. "She's still a Jedi, don't worry… and if the Jedi want her back, I'm not stopping them." She looked at Naywi, and asked, "Well… aren't you going to introduce yourself to my girls like you wanted to?"

"Oh, yes," Naywi realized. With a bow to Ruby and Yang, she said, "I'm Naywi, a Padawan—and a Mirialan if you're curious as to what my species is, I realize this planet only has two types of sentient species. My previous Master, Master Dohet, knew Natsumi—er, 'Summer'. My Master was recently slain by the Sith Emperor defending me. But… I've heard there is no Death, there in the Force, and he's most likely joined it."

"So that's what that 'becoming one with the Force' thing meant," Yang concluded. "Thank goodness we got through that one early. That was going to bug me even more than everything else these Jedi hit us with. But anyway, nice to meet ya, Naywi, and sorry to hear about your Master. I'm Yang Xiao Long, and this is my little sister and Summer's biological daughter, Ruby Rose."

"Hi," Ruby awkwardly waved.

"If you're sisters," Naywi asked, "why do you have different surnames? If you don't mind me asking."

"Well, we're half-sisters," Yang answered. "Our moms are different women, as you could tell, but our dad's the same guy. Ruby just didn't get 'Xiao Long' on her birth certificate, though. So, where did you come from?"

"Tython," Naywi said. "I trained there longer than Jadecal and Artemis have, but I was only recently assigned to Master Dohet... under his instruction a few months ago, I made my lightsaber."

"You build laser swords!?" Ruby asked. "Oh, that has to be incredibly cool! I mean, sure, I made Crescent Rose here..." Ruby showed her giant sniper scythe. "But building a laser sword! That's amazing!" Naywi blushed at the praise.

"Glad you girls are already hitting it off," Summer laughed. She then calmed down, and sighed, "I've missed this world so much." Ruby turned to her mother.

"Mom, I'm glad you're alive," Ruby smiled, tears in her eyes. "But… I thought I sensed you die. But I have to ask why did you leave for ten years?" Summer looked away.

"I didn't exactly have much choice if I wanted to save Raven and Remnant from the Sith Empire and my own failures," Summer answered. "And to keep you safe, I… kept you in the dark, hoping that if you didn't know about the Empire or the Republic, my enemies wouldn't know about you. For all the good that did, because ten years after I left this planet to stop him, my most personal enemy finds out you exist and told the Republic's Supreme Chancellor." Summer looked down, tears building up. "I'm sorry for what I did. I know it will never make up for what happened and what is going to happen… but I've spent the past ten years of my life delaying this battle with that monster. I'm going to do everything in my power to help stop him." Ruby hugged her mother.

"You will fail, Spirit of Roses!" Rumwash spat, walking towards them.

"They're having a moment," Yang snapped. "Do I have to break your other arm, or what?"

"Yang, no," Summer chided, letting go of Ruby. Rumwash swung at her, but his punch never reached her face. He instead was floating upwards, and Summer was pointing a single finger to the sky. When he reached three stories up, Summer pointed downwards, and Rumwash suddenly slammed into the ground, forming a crater. "I warned him not to continue."

"Whoa," Jaune breathed. "That is one tough mom."

"Yeah," Ren agreed. Nora and Pyrrha nodded in agreement.

Looking at Ruby, Summer explained, "If we had more time, I'd take the rest of this conversation somewhere private. But… what I have to explain about my life before you… it would take more than ten minutes. I'm just glad you're okay, Ruby… that you have friends. And I'm glad your sister has been keeping an eye on you."

"Thanks, Mom," Yang beamed. "…Between you and my real mom, though, I'm really confused by what's going on."

"Yeah, she told me that you and she had a rough first meeting," Summer recalled. "I was afraid Ruby, when she found out that I was alive, would be just as angry as you were… or worse."

"Part of me is angry you left so suddenly, but I mainly just have a lot of questions," Ruby answered. "Questions we'll need to talk about, later. Um… can we exchange numbers?"

"Sure," Summer said, holding out her Scroll and pressing it to Ruby's, sharing her number. "It's about time we did that. But I have another present for you that you may need in the future. It won't make up for birthdays 6-15, I'll have to do something for that and your 16th soon, but..." Summer then pulled out a pair of holo-communicators.

"Hey, it's one of those circle things with the neat holograms!" Ruby beamed.

"Holo-communicators," Summer corrected, handing her one. "I've collected a few of these. Think of it like the phone setting of your Scroll but with a holographic image that can go even across planets and star systems. I've put my holo-frequency in, so if you need to see me as well as talk to me, there you go. Just to be safe, I've sent some instructions on how to use it to your Scroll, translated to Remnant English."

"So THAT's how this works," Ruby said, pocketing it.

"Wait, translated?" Weiss asked.

"You girls have never seen Aurebesh," Summer laughed. "I'd teach you, but I don't have time." The ex-Sith then threw one over to Jaune.

"Huh?" Jaune asked, barely catching it.

"Hey, you'll probably need this one day, Mr. Arc," Summer explained.

"You know my family?" Jaune asked.

"Let Aurelia and Leonardo know that 'Summer' sends her regards, but Red Darkness approaches," Summer replied. "They'll know the rest."

"Aw," Nora pouted, "Jaune gets to beat the bad guy, save Pyrrha, and gets a new gadget?" Summer threw her one as well while handing Yang one. "Thank you, Ruby's mom!"

"You're welcome," Summer replied. Looking at Qrow and Ozpin, she asked, "You guys didn't happen to break yours, did you? I'm honestly did not expect to be handing holo-coms out like candy."

"Mine's dusty but fine," Ozpin answered. "Glynda has hers locked away as well. James has kept his secure for a while. We'll make sure they're put to good use."

"I didn't break anything," Qrow answered. "That was Taiyang who broke mine after breaking his… again." Summer sighed, and threw him two. "You know he's going to want to see you when he finally gets to Beacon."

"Tell him to come to the Old Place when he gets back from his mission," Summer replied. "I'll be there in a few days."

"This still doesn't alleviate the fact that you were alive and didn't once call us," Qrow scolded. "We were a team, Summer. Hell, we were _**your team. **_And Raven, as much as we bump heads, is **_my sister._** We could have helped you deal with Crumma and even rescue Raven if she was captured by him."

"…I know," the redheaded ex-Sith replied, tearing up once again. "It wasn't fair for any of you to think I was dead for ten years. But... if we went together, we would have had to take Ruby and Yang. If I was going to end up breaking the treaty, I didn't want to risk being caught with my seven-and-five-year old girls, neither of whom would have had any idea what was going on, what aliens were, and why everyone suddenly wants me dead. Outer space roaming the galaxy on a stock freighter is not an ideal place or way to raise children, anyway. I don't care what you say, Qrow, but everyone was realistically safer here than my old galaxy."

"Well, I can't say that you're wrong that Ruby and Yang were better here than the galaxy, considering who you are," Qrow commented. "But it doesn't excuse not letting us know as soon as you saved Raven."

"I wanted to see you all, I really wanted to. But at the same time, I wanted to be sure the Republic and the Empire gave up seeking me out. Crumma didn't, and I barely survived the first instance of his actions. But if Crumma and the Empire weren't stopped from seeking revenge, what about the Republic? I didn't want to risk them ignoring the Jedi and invading. That was part of the reason I went to Rishi two weeks ago… in case the Jedi present wanted to know why a ship matching the codes of the _Glass Eagle_ was in the system."

"So the _Eagle _is still in your hands," Citarhi realized. "I haven't seen it since the end of the Great Hunt."

"She's doing well," Summer said. "I see you've mellowed out, Cit."

"And you look well for someone who died but came back, Natsumi," Citarhi replied. Summer then spotted Kombu.

"…Does it still hurt?" she asked, looking at his leg.

"Yes," Kombu said.

"I'm sorry if my 'still being alive' forced you out of an early retirement," she said. "You don't need to be here, Kombu."

"It was either I or Master Tillicru," Kombu answered. "He wouldn't have given you or your child any quarter." Summer held her arm and looked down. "Still, Natsumi… the fact that you're alive is noteworthy. But are you ally or enemy in this battle?"

"If you're against Crumma, I'm your ally of mutual interest," Summer replied. "But if you even think about taking my daughter anywhere near the Core Worlds where I can't reach her without starting a war that Remnant can't win…" Her hand clenched, and a nearby street lamp suddenly bent until it violently snapped.

"That goes double from me," Yang added, cocking her gauntlets and her eyes glowing red while her hair shined bright.

"…I take it their father is the Sun Dragon?" Kombu asked.

"Um, Yang, Mom, I don't really need you guys to be that crazy defending me," Ruby weakly chimed in. All of the sudden, a groan of agony emerged, and everyone turned to the crater, where Rumwash crawled out of it. "Oh… that guy is still conscious?"

"That is surprising," Summer said. Rumwash stood up, but held his arm. "Let me spell this out for you, young man. You've lost. You keep fighting this battle, it will end with you killing yourself."

"No… I am Sith!" Rumwash growled. "I will not be denied by several Jedi, a low-level failure, a Mandalorian reject, a smart-mouthed fool, a woman who wastes her skill, and a former slave!" He then gathered a lot of electricity, signaling he was able to regain some of his Force abilities. Jaune raised Crocea Mors' shield, and sinking into a fighting stance while Ruby did the same for Crescent Rose. However, everyone was surprised when Rumwash was struck in the back by a sudden lightning bolt, overloading his own lightning, and forced to kneel.

"I told you that you should have waited until I gave my orders," a female voice spoke up. Rumwash looked to see Darth Mel and Moff Grey, the former with her right arm raised and her hand sparking, walking towards them with two masked male figures, one wearing black armor and holding a single lightsaber, and one wearing blue and grey robes with a double-bladed lightsaber. "You are a fool, Rumwash. Just like Coparo. Unlike him, you didn't have the luxury of dying quickly for your stupidity."

She then looked at Teams RWBY and JNPR. "So, you children managed to beat the ever-loving snot out of this apprentice and my men?" Mel casually applauded them. "Nice work for those untrained in the full extent of the Force. Ever consider joining the Empire? We could use people like you."

"No," Pyrrha answered. "Who are you?" The Darth frowned in mild disappointment, but shrugged.

"Darth Mel, Dark Councilor of Expansion and Diplomacy," Mel said. "Moff Gwencas Grey is my right hand. And the Sith Lords behind me are Lord Kolbasis, a ruthless juggernaut, and my friendly personal assassin, Rumwash's… former Master, Lord Zilar."

"Former!?" Rumwash demanded. "We can finish these fools, Darth Mel, Lord Kolbasis, and Lord Zilar, the four of us! We can—"

"Shut-up," the blue and gray robed man ordered, reaching out with a clenching motion. Rumwash gasped, holding his throat while his former Master Force Choked him. The echo of the mask stunned the eight young Huntsmen as he explained, "Our orders were very clear. We do not expose ourselves until Darth Mel is ready to convince this planet to join the Empire or at the very least convert the girl to our way of thinking. Yet you wanted the honor and pleasure of capturing our target so badly, you went in with needless violence. You tried to work like the Emperor, ruthlessly attacking when it is wiser to be silent. That is NOT how I trained you, you bloody fool. You have failed me, my former apprentice." He capitalized this with lifting Rumwash in the air with the Force before slamming him down, although it didn't create a crater like Summer. He then forced Rumwash to stand back up, and continued choking him.

"We had to rush here to clean up your mess, which cost us many Imperial lives, two of our experimental Dark Side tainted Nexu, and many, many droids. This isn't even the only spot where major fighting has taken place in this city, and we are losing men because you refused to pull back. Thanks to your stupidity, this entire city—this **WORLD**—now knows of our existence. When the Emperor comes, there WILL be consequences. Pray you **die** before he gets here." With that, he thrust his hand forward, which slammed Rumwash through the glass window of a butcher's shop. Zilar then turned towards Team RWBY and Team JNPR. "You have stood in defiance of the Empire today. Know that you have my respect… and my hatred. Not many survive both. If Rumwash survived that, know that he from now on acts without my permission."

"And I ordered him NOT to do something like this," Mel added. "So, even though it IS partially my fault since I brought him to this planet, he chose to go on that little rampage, getting my men, droids, and creatures destroyed. I cannot be held truly responsible for all of this."

"And yet, the Empire has done its damage," Summer said. "Vale's Council will not look past that if you plan to negotiate with them."

"Oh, I've already thought about that," Mel said. Turning to the rest of the Imperial Forces, she ordered, "So, you all have a choice. You can either return with me, hoping I am still in a forgiving mood for going along with this foolish, suicidal scheme that endangered my job… or you can stay here, continuing a fight you can't possibly hope to win, because I'm withdrawing the droid support regardless." A good majority of the soldiers instantly bowed to the Darth. "Good choice. You may live."

"Whoa," Jaune said. "That is a lot of respect and power."

"The power that comes with being one of the Emperor's immediate subordinates who have fought tooth and nail for their positions," Mel explained. "Especially if said Emperor is a madman, since you have to be very impressive if you can survive his insanity." Mel looked at Summer. "You know you could have avoided all of this and what's to come, correct?"

"I wouldn't have done very well, I'm afraid," Summer replied. Mel shook her head.

"Your self-doubt will be the death of you," she advised. "I suggest you abandon your inhibitions. You don't have much choice this time around, if you wish this to end in this world's favor." Mel then turned towards Ruby. "Let this battle be a learning experience of what is to come. If you had trouble dealing with that rogue apprentice… you won't have a chance against Darth Crumma. I hope you'll improve or at the very least have a way off this planet by the time we meet again." With that, she walked away, leading her two Sith Lords away.

"What did she mean by 'we meet again'?" Ruby asked.

"Darth Mel has her eyes on you," Grey explained. "The Empire has not forgiven the Hunters from twenty years ago for their actions… especially killing Darth Maxdi."

"Maxdi?"

"The Emperor at the time," Summer answered. "He had been trying to kill me for some time before I dealt with him… and he was striking the Republic, setting his sights on Coruscant. I coincidentally stopped him just in time to end the Great Hunt in Qrow's favor and save millions of Republic lives. The reason I'm not in a Republic prison was as a thank you. Unfortunately, the Sith don't forgive me for what I did after Maxdi was confirmed dead." Summer then looked at Grey, and asked, "What do you personally think?"

"…We've had worse," the Moff shrugged. "And compared to Darth Crumma… who knows. But this conflict will only end with the death of either of you."

"Thank you for the suggestion," Summer nodded. "But Moff… I'm watching your superior from now on. Something like this happens again, I will act."

"Acknowledged… Lady Himura," Grey bowed before walking away. Summer turned to the Jedi and Dennis.

"If Chancellor Bi hasn't told Senator Organna, tell Alderaan that I'm still alive, Mr. Ulgo," she said. "And I haven't forgotten what your family did to mine. While I won't forgive, I won't take revenge."

"Huh?" Ruby asked.

"Alderaan's more-or-less my home planet," Summer answered, "I'll explain later." Looking at the Jedi, she continued, "But as for you Jedi…I'm watching you, too. But we've all done enough damage today. You helped saved this city, and for that, you're free to walk away right now."

Dennis was about to say something, when a beep erupted. He looked at his holo-communicator to see the woman that Yang and Weiss talked to, holding a sniper rifle, looking at him. "Captain Mont, we're here. No casualties."

"_Cool, because the other side of town was hectic until a few seconds ago. Also, you missed a hell of a fight,"_ Mont smirked. _"Get this: there were these Hunters who showed up and took down a lot of Imps without batting an eyelash. And this long-eared girl cast this weird trick, and things exploded. But the best part was when the Imps suddenly started falling back. Looks like we won, and I want a drink with that long-eared girl."_

"I'm... pretty sure she's underage," Dennis replied.

"Well this is very disappointing," a somewhat disheveled Port sighed. "They started running away when things started getting interesting. Qrow, what's your final count for today?"

"Counting the small squad from 3 in the morning, those I took on the way from the Council Tower to here, and three shared droid kills?" Qrow asked. "I'd say about… 34?"

"No fair!" Port pouted. "You started early!" Looking at the four Jedi, he asked, "So, are they the bonus round, or…?"

"We're working with them," Ozpin replied. Port sighed before putting his weapon.

"Very well, Ozpin, but I do so in protest. Still, if this is your decision, I will adhere to it." He began walking away to the school. "Have a nice weekend, students. See you Monday at nine. Summer, glad to see you're alive. We'll have to have dinner someday."

"I'd love to, Peter," Summer smiled. "Take care."

"You too," Port chuckled.

"_Okay, was that who I think it was?"_ Captain Cynthia Mont questioned the Jedi as Port left. They all nodded.

"The fighting has stopped for now," Dennis said. "We just met the leader of the Sith, and… she has the audacity to discredit the Sith responsible for the attack, calling him a rogue agent. We can't discredit her, but… the Spirit of Roses herself is here."

_"Yeah, the commander and I spotted her heading your way. However, we both got caught up that we couldn't call you."_

"Havoc Squad, I assume," Summer said. "You have my condolences about Commander Sturgas two weeks ago. He was a good man. I'd write to his next of kin, but the Republic would flag my messages. I am technically a rogue Sith."

_"Damn straight you are,"_ Commander Steele said, joining the conversation. _"I didn't think the Imps taught their Sith how to handle a blaster."_

"My gunplay teacher wasn't a Sith," Summer answered. "Anyway, is that other young Huntsman team with you alright?"

_"Those kids?"_ Steele asked. _"Yeah, they're more than all right. Their leader said that with the fighting done, they're going back to Beacon to lick up any wounds they may have taken."_

"Well, that explains Team CFVY," Ren said.

"Alright," Qrow sighed. "I suppose kindly asking you all to leave Remnant is not an option, especially since we're working to defeat Darth Crumma."

"You can always join the Jedi, Natsumi," Citarhi offered.

"There's no place for me there, Cit," Summer said. She looked at her daughter. "Ruby… I'm proud of you. We'll talk later, okay?"

"Talk later?" Ruby asked. "Aren't you gonna come back to Beacon?"

"I'd really love to," Summer declined, "but… I have a bit to do before coming in. And you could use your rest."

"What are you…" Ruby then suddenly collapsed onto her knees. Yang and Zwei were at her side quicker than anyone else, the blonde brawler instantly knelt down next to her sister.

"What happened!?" Yang asked.

"She probably pushed her body to its limits," Summer simply answered. "Overextending your Semblance burns your Aura… and Ruby does still eat a lot, right?" Ruby's stomach grumbled.

"…Oh, we skipped dinner!" Yang remembered, placing her hand to her face. She laughed. "We tried to get a book for Ruby's paper, then the Jedi, then that Sith guy, then this whole fight downtown… Ruby hasn't really eaten."

"Aw, I forgot to pay for it, too," Ruby sighed, holding up the book.

"I'll pay for it," Summer said. _"Lit Candle?"_ Ruby nodded.

"Come to think of it, I'm hungry, too," Nora mused.

"_I could go for a nerf burger myself, but this planet doesn't sell those,"_ Mont chuckled. _"And I don't have the local currency... hope you don't mind, Goldilocks, that I put my drink on your tab."_

"Really?" Yang asked. "Wait, local currency?"

"You mean they don't take Credits, here?" Dennis asked.

"I'm afraid not," Ozpin said.

"I'll watch the kids for now," Qrow said, walking towards Summer, giving his old friend a hug. "I trained Ruby for some time, in case you've noticed the weapon and fighting style. What's a few more days?"

"Thanks, but what about your job?" Summer asked.

"I've already contacted Headmistress Spice," Qrow explained. "I explained that Ozpin wanted to see me in person and I'm giving a special lecture and critiques. She's given me a week off."

"Thank you, Qrow," Summer smiled as he broke off the hug. She then looked at the Jedi, and said, "Raven and I will be watching you all. Take care, Cit." Looking at Yang and Ruby, she said, "I'll see you all later, alright?" The girls nodded before Summer looked at Naywi. "Naywi, are you coming with me, or staying with your fellow Jedi?" The Mirialan looked conflicted.

"…I hope you don't mind if Naywi continues to be our eyes in your organization," Citarhi answered. "We need to make sure you don't betray this alliance, either."

"Really?" Naywi asked.

"Keep an eye on her," Kombu instructed. "But whatever you do, young Padawan… if she tries to lure you to the Dark Side, return to us."

"…I will, Master Kombu," Naywi bowed.

"May the Force be with you," the two Jedi Masters bowed back. Summer nodded before leading Naywi away.

"…Wow," Ruby smiled, tears in her eyes. "Mom's back."

"Mine too, Ruby," Yang nodded, hugging her little sister. "Mine, too."

"Natsumi certainly is impressive," the Cathar nodded. "Well then… Ruby, right? We will leave you be. Artemis?"

"Yes," the male Padawan said. With a bow to the eight Beacon students, he said, "May the Force be with you."

"Indeed," Jadecal bowed as well.

"Until we meet again," Kombu agreed. The four Jedi and their trooper walked away.

"…So, can someone tell me just what we got ourselves into?" Jaune asked while his Aura began regenerating, but his chest was still sore. "Ow… my ribs…"

"We'll fix that," Qrow promised. "Let's gets you kids back to Beacon. Coming, Ozpin?" The eight students and dog all looked to see Ozpin returning his staff to his side while looking at the retreating Jedi Knights. Ozpin then turned around, a grim look on his face.

'(First, an Imperial squad marched on Qrow's farm,)' the Headmaster of Beacon recalled. '(Then, Jedi approach Ruby. Then a Sith launches a full-scale attack on downtown Vale. Finally, Summer is revealed to be alive? We must all be in some serious trouble.)' Looking at Qrow, he said, "I'm coming. But Qrow… we have a lot to answer for."

* * *

**Unknown Location—19:36**

A hooded man stood in front of a holo-terminal, looking at Darth Mel. "Oh really?" he asked, his voice distorted. "That little tramp did ALL of that?"

"_Yes,"_ Mel answered. _"Luckily, his failure made my job easier. I now can work the angle you suggested… albeit in a different direction."_

"Such a shame," the hooded man shook his head while watching the downtown footage. "So, Rumwash tried to kill the girl AND was defeated in battle by this… blonde swordsman?"

"_The poor boy was apparently getting creamed by Rumwash,"_ the Darth mentioned. _"He thinks it was luck… but that sword disturbs me."_

"How can a steel blade be more threatening to a Sith Lord than a lightsaber?" the man asked.

"_That's what I want you to find out,"_ Mel answered. _"Do a background check on the eight children. I want to know their names, where they came from, who trained them, who they care about, their known abilities, their strengths and weaknesses… everything I would need to know to either convert them to our side or eliminate them. The last thing the Empire would want is this to be the beginning of a new Team STRQ."_

"Very well," the man nodded. "What of the Jedi and Havoc Squad?"

"_We don't have enough ships to blockade the planet and thanks to those foolish apprentices, I don't have the pull or manpower to stage a citywide sweep for them without causing local trouble," _Mel replied. _"They can go to ground if they like. We'll deal with them… and Natsumi as well. Her words suggest she's long beaten us to the planet and has been preparing for the Emperor, and has an idea about how she can kill him."_

"Want me to eliminate her before she succeeds?" the man asked.

"_And piss off the Emperor for not letting him have the honor of killing his mortal enemy once and for all?"_ Mel replied. _"We both know that he'd kill us for not allowing him a chance. Let's just focus on our missions… mine is to secure a foothold on Remnant. Yours is to help me and keep tabs on our enemies. We both succeed and we get to live a little longer. Either of us fail… and the closest we'll ever see to the homeworld again is our heads on Force pikes hanging from the Imperial Palace."_

"Understood, my Lord," the man bowed. "Is that all?"

"_For now, Cipher 13,"_ she nodded. _"Now, if you excuse me, I have to attend a meeting. Darth Mel out." _Mel faded from existence, leaving Cipher 13 alone.

However, the silence was interrupted as a group of humans walked in. "Master Barker," one of the people said, "we have secured the man you wanted alive. Barely, however."

"Good," Cipher 13, also known as "Jasper Barker", said with a thick Welsh accent. "When he arrives, put him in the kolto tank transport. We'll change bases. Now, we begin Phase 2 of our master plan."

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: And thus Teams RWBY and JNPR defeated Rumwash! And Vale is technically independent from Imperials...

Well, Summer and Ruby finally got their reunion, Rumwash got his ass kicked, and Darth Mel is ready to play. While she's frustrated that her followers can't obey "stay put until I'm good and ready", she can bounce off it. And she's in more support of Summer than Crumma.

Speaking of Summer, she's finally gotten her wish... to hug her girls. Fun fact, in my original drafts, she wouldn't have gotten a chance to meet with Ruby until Crumma arrived on the planet. However, Summer would realistically be a far more active character. And we also find out that Qrow had an OPPOSITE preference of partner selection than his niece. Ruby would have preferred Yang, wouldn't have minded Jaune or Blake, but ended up with Weiss, someone she didn't get along with initially. Meanwhile, Qrow's LAST choice was his own twin sister... instead, he preferred Ozpin or Summer, and while Summer was his teammate, Raven was his partner. I feel that Qrow and Raven would have butted heads alot because Qrow was serious and Raven was a drifter, but the two loved each other.

I'm getting off track. So, Cipher 13 is finally deciding to come into the fold. What is he up to? You'll just have to find out... because now, I answer reviews.

**New Universe Returns:** Nice username, for starters. Now, as for traveling the galaxy... I genuinely do not know. Much of my story planned does not call for the intergalactic traveling unless I'm required to have one of the galactic factions succeed in capturing one of the protagonists or one of the Macguffins that has yet to be introduced. However, you ARE in luck about two characters that WILL be showing up. The question, however, is how old one of them would be.

**RedemptionWarrior: ** I'm really sorry! I have a bad habit of info-dumping and writing long fight scenes... at the same time. But I wanted to get it out of the way while I could. Also, I'm running on the realistic assumption that the Imperials had to run back to their ship parked on the other end of Vale City, uncage their nexu, activate their battle droids, drag the nexu back, have them catch a scent of Ruby's cloak and rose petals, and spread throughout the city looking for any signs of Ruby in case she and her party decided to scatter. In short, long enough for a conversation.

**anthonyluna29:** ...Well, I have to think of how to creatively kill Rumwash, now.

**A.K.b00m:** After hearing your theories, I would not be surprised. Another theory would be that Ironwood thinks Ozpin is up to something a bit too much for his own good. Years of military actions have made him incredibly paranoid about everything happening, including (in my story at least) the Republic and Empire. He's even willing to risk throwing away his friendship with Ozpin if he thinks for a second that Ozpin is doing something that would endanger Remnant. After all, Ozpin has, by his own admission, made "more mistakes than any man, woman, and child on the planet". He's more of an extremist with good intentions but has a bad way of going about it.

As for the story, I'm glad you appreciate it. And I'm sorry if it seems that I'm favoring Summer over Raven, here, but it's because Yang, by her own admission, has a bond with Summer. Realistically, for Ruby to be around, Yang's mom would have had to have left within a two-year window. I'm not saying Taiyang cheated on Raven or Raven divorced him, but something happened, and Summer, already Yang's god mother, stepped in, married Taiyang, and had another kid. Raven WANTS to have a bond with Yang, but doesn't really know how to go about it... something she'll have to learn.

**Nerdfighter1309:** Sorry for the wait! Glad I could make this!

**toddwalters45:** Really? Neat to know. By all means, don't let me stop you from putting yours up.

Alright, so that's almost everything! One more thing before I go. I'm conducting a new poll on my profile. What does everyone think Summer Rose's real lightsaber color should be? My only restraint is that it's not going to be the typical Sith red or black. Why not either of those colors. Besides Ruby's color motif already calling dibs on red and black, red being the color of agression doesn't seem like the type of choice for Summer's character apart from her family, and black lightsabers are too rare, even for me.

Farewell, subjects, and have a great weekend!


	7. Chapter 7: Evening News

A/N: So sorry for the wait. I've been bouncing ideas off of the wall for a while... on top of work... and preparing to take more classes for my teacher certification. With that said, if you don't really care about fictional politics, go ahead and skip sections 2 and 4 of this chapter. I really tried to avoid making who hated the Senate and Jedi Council meetings of the prequels groan with disgust, but every major war involves politics somehow. Don't hate me.

With that, here we go, and let's check in on Torchwick.

* * *

**Beacon Academy—Prison Cells—20:31**

"So," Roman Torchwick asked the Imperial soldier sitting across from him in a cell. "What are you and the woman in for, buddy? It's not every day someone not only gets arrested by Huntsmen, but thrown into a Huntsman Academy jail cell like yours truly."

"Um, what?" Herbert asked.

"Oh come on," Torchwick scoffed. "You have had to be considered a serious threat to society that a Huntsman decided to bring you here where you're surrounded by both professional Hunters AND Huntsmen-in-training if you manage to get past the first group. And that's not even talking about how Atlas' military might has decided to up security since what I did last week. Crashed a train into the middle of town, let loose an entire horde of Grimm, and cause millions of Lien in property damage and terrorism on top of stealing millions more in Dust and leading a terrorist organization. Pretty sure there were a few casualties, and Ozpin is officially on investigation by the Vale Council in danger of losing his job. All thanks to me, the White Fang, and a few dozen train cars full of Dust bombs." He smirked, "So, what do you have, my fine sir, that can top or match that, because, let's be honest, you look like you've soiled yourself."

"Um, well…" Herbert began. "Look, I'm just a soldier who was following orders, and the last person alive who survived my squad's destruction. You don't disobey a Sith without dire consequences unless you are a stronger Sith. I don't have the Force, just a blaster."

"…The Sith?" Torchwick asked. "What's a Sith?"

"You don't know about the Sith or the Empire?" Herbert questioned. "What is wrong with this planet!?"

"You say that like you're from outer space," Torchwick noticed. "But that's impossible. If there were such things as spaceships, I would have stolen one by now." He leaned in, and said, "Unless, of course, you have one and know how to start it up… in that case, that's the last step I need to make our escape."

"Well, we do have a starship," a female voice spoke up. The two turned towards the only woman in their presence... a blond woman with ocean blue eyes, fair skin, freckles, and her hair in a proper bun wearing a gray uniform. "The Huntsman responsible for our capture took a couple Mantis drop-ships, possibly as souvenirs. It's just that I'm not exactly a pilot, but I know how to read Aurebesh. If you're going to get us out of here, you'll need that unless you know intergalactic languages."

"…I'm not even going to pretend I know what you're talking about, other than you're hired," Torchwick said. "And lucky for you, I'm a pilot of many, many vehicles on top of being a handsome thief with a tricked out cane who enjoys rare cigars and fine wine. However, you're gonna have to be patient, as my escape is gonna take some time and my partner is sitting back for now." He then turned to Herbert, and said, "So, you didn't exactly explain what these 'orders' were that resulted in Beacon-style jail time."

"Well, our orders, according to Lord Coparo Thul, were to find and kill eight Huntsmen of substantial power as well as capture the future apprentice of the Emperor... we only knew the details of what she looked like until this afternoon. Silver eyes, red hair, red cloak, powerful Force-user."

"…With the exception of the Force-user part," Torchwick nodded, "I think I have an idea of who you were looking for." Torchwick began chuckling. "Ah, I enjoy the delicious irony of a mutual enemy. If I wasn't already interested in hiring you, I am now!"

"Huh?"

"Oh, it's just that you described a young girl who I've had many, many encounters with to the build-up of that terrorist attack I talked about before. Her team ultimately got me, hence why I'm here, but I didn't make it easy. But hey, if you're going to pick a fight with Red and that team of hers, you may as well have someone who knows her like I do at your back."

* * *

**Vale City—Industrial District—20:35**

Chaos erupted through the emergency meeting. The Councilors of Vale and the city's community representatives were all crowded in one building to discuss the attack by the Imperials. Ozpin himself was present; irritated that he had to spend any more time in the Council Chamber.

"Ladies and gentlemen," one of the Councilors, Irving Lanterns, addressed the people, "please remain calm." Looking around at the worried faces, he said, "I'm afraid I cannot sugarcoat this: we are at war with powers beyond our known world."

"Aliens to be precise," another Councilor, Samuel Sigal, said while staring at Ozpin. "These invaders were from the far depths of uncharted space calling themselves members of the 'Sith Empire'. But one person here already knew of this, didn't you?"

"Whatever do you mean to insist, Councilor?" Ozpin asked. "That I'm responsible for an unprovoked attack on our city right from a foreign power barely a week after the Breach?"

"Insisting has nothing to do with it," Sigal replied. "I'm talking about your prodigy team… the alien responsible for this attack was specifically seeking Team RWBY. Furthermore, Qrow Branwen, confirmed to be the uncle of two members of that team, wouldn't just show himself in Vale without a good reason. You both knew about this attack, didn't you? And the woman who assisted you in defeating the instigator's final wave and her assistant... you knew of them?"

"We didn't know it would happen," Ozpin denied. "We were just as caught off-guard as you. Especially about the woman... we thought until today that she was dead. Furthermore, Qrow had been acting in self-defense when he first captured that Imperial ship we mistook for pirates and assumed that his nieces would have been targeted. I mistakenly assured him his fears were minor."

At least part of that was true; Ozpin thought that the small squad Qrow killed were the only Imperials that were actually on Remnant and he had until this afternoon thought Summer was dead. However, Rumwash's attack on Ruby directly proved much of that line of thinking was false. And now, on top of the Council basically threatening to fire him, revoke his license, and possibly put a warrant out for his arrest (depending on how serious they considered his nondisclosure of the intergalactic community that could and would destroy them in properly provoked), he had to contend with Darth Mel. Still, as long as someone in this room didn't assume the more accurate reasons the Council was directing their more accusatory comments toward him, things would be okay.

"I'll be more careful dealing with the Sith and their Empire from now on," Ozpin continued.

"You can barely keep an eye on four first-years," Sigal argued. Ozpin, for the first time this whole conversation started, actually glared at Sigal. Considering the headmaster's more stoic nature, Ozpin's glare was more than enough to stop Sigal for a few moments. Many people could tell that despite his lower political power and the fact that he was now on probation, Ozpin was the stronger between himself and Sigal. The only reason Ozpin didn't flat-out kill the Councilor despite how easily he could do so—and quite possibly get away with it because they all agreed that they did not like Sigal—was because he was a patient man.

But even his patience could run thin.

"Before you yell at me about Team RWBY, sir," Ozpin countered, "this all started while I was still in this building after meeting with you about the Breach. It's called 'shopping', Councilor. It's something that teenage girls like Miss Rose, Miss Schnee, Miss Belladonna, and Miss Xiao Long do when they're not fighting Grimm or taking on an invasion force that nobody in this room could have predicted coming. They explained their situation before I was asked to come here so late to testify about Beacon's involvement in the invasion. They were browsing a bookstore and walking their team's pet dog when they encountered the Sith, who started taking hostages. They acted in self-defense and saved lives, as the Sith responsible for the attack made no intentions of sparing the hostages even if his demands were met. Sure, they were impulsive, but they acted like Huntresses in this situation and should be given some leeway. Regardless, making sure the Imperials do not cause any more trouble is now one of my primary concerns and I will cooperate with General Ironwood. But that is something I can't do if I'm being prodded at by you for every single minor detail. If you are done, I'd like to get back to my job for however long I have it."

"You will not sass back at me, Ozpin," Sigal warned while the Headmaster stood up to leave. "We've given you to the end of the Vytal Festival for your disciplinary hearing about your irresponsibility and how you impact the young Huntsmen and Huntresses of our society. I can easily skip the hearing altogether and have you stripped of your position and your Huntsman License."

"As a fellow politician, I would believe that would be a huge mistake," a new voice spoke up. Everyone in the room looked at the now open doors to the Council Chamber, where several dismantled security droids suddenly flew in and scattered on the floor. Casually strutting over the pile of destroyed droids was Darth Mel and Gwencas Grey, the latter holding a blaster pistol while the former had her violet lightsaber. "After all, he's too valuable of an asset for you to simply throw away right now."

"Oh my god," a woman breathed. "It's another Sith! We're all going to die!"

"Oh please, don't get your knickers in a twist," Mel said. "If I wanted to kill every single person in this room, I would only have one threat to worry about and we'd already be fighting to the death. Besides, this isn't blood. My robes are only covered in this Dust substance that your planet uses. Speaking of which, Moff Grey?"

"Yes my Lord?" the Moff asked.

"I killed 45 of these things on the way up here," Mel replied, kicking a non-functioning droid in the head, knocking it off. "How many did you get?"

"I believe about 47," Grey answered. Mel frowned, looked at a droid that was still twitching but had a knife in its head. She responded to this by electrocuting the droid until it exploded.

"There, we're both at 46."

"But my Lord, it was already offline!"

"It was twitching."

"Because I buried a vibroknife in its processor!"

"That one Joiner on Alderaan survived that stab through the neck, remember? You then had to repeatedly shoot him in the face before he finally died. It pays to double tap BEFORE it gets up. Don't be stingy with your blaster rounds."

"If you two are quite finished on ruining your own dramatic entrance," Ozpin said, standing up to face them, "care to explain why you're here?"

"Ah, yes, almost forgot about you," Mel said. "Ozpin, correct? Darth Mel, in case you forgot about our brief meeting earlier."

"You met this Sith woman before?" Lanterns asked Ozpin.

"This is only our second meeting," Mel assured everyone. "And it was only long enough for me to punish that rogue Sith that attacked your city. And I'm sorry about that. This was far from my ideal of engaging in First Contact with your planet. If it was up to me, I would have learned everything I could before making my move, and introducing an ambassador. But then Rumwash was an idiot. Now I had to do this the old-fashioned way of Sith Empire introductions… which involves a bit of violence—if you're queasy about droids, I would avoid the entire second, third, and fifth floors on your way out this evening—and then an entrance, and finally me introducing myself. In short, 'Blast Defenses First, Negotiations Second, Maim Everything That Disagrees with You Third' of the Sith Diplomatic Approach handbook. As you all have heard, I am Darth Mel, and I am in charge of Expansion and Diplomacy… and I'm not going to lie to you, I'm the NICEST Darth you're going to meet if this all gets ugly. I represent the interests of the Sith Empire—one of the galaxy's three biggest political powers."

"You said three," the only female Councilor, Alani Branch, pointed out. "Who are the other powers?"

"Well, there's the Galactic Republic, who we of the Empire have been at war with. They've been around much longer than the Empire, I will admit. They and their Jedi Knights have caused us quite the deal of trouble. And then, there's the Hutt Cartel—more-or-less a group of like-minded worms forming a criminal empire to rule the galaxy with. I don't like the Republic much, but at least they won't go out of their way to screw you over and make life miserable for you for no reason other than it amuses them like the Cartel."

"Uh-huh," Lanterns nodded. "So, what do you want with us?"

"Ah, yes, let's cut to the chase," Mel smiled, turning off her lightsaber. "What I want… is to apologize for the trouble you've all experienced today." Everyone in the room save for Ozpin was surprised about this. "Rumwash, the Sith who led the attack on your city, disobeyed my direct orders to stay put, and attacked your people, this Team RWBY especially, thinking one of those girls was some kind of prophetic chosen one. While I'm still debating whether or not he was right, if Rumwash is still alive after my subordinate and his former Master, Lord Zilar, punished him, he does not act on my behalf. Feel free to kill him if it satisfies you, and know I won't seek any form of retribution. Cold, yes, but this is how we punish traitors in the Empire. And he is one."

"So, you're apologizing," Lanterns nodded. "So, why come to Remnant in the first place?"

"See, the reason I've been sent to your planet is that my Emperor, who is a total bastard by the way—"

"My Lord," Grey gasped. "We shouldn't say things about the Emperor."

"You know it's true that Crumma is terrible," Mel replied to the Moff. Turning back to the Council, she continued, "Anyway, the Emperor has discovered your planet, and has known of it for at least ten years but has had no real reason to look into it until recently. Before you ask how this happened, let it be known that your planet's basic technology is about… Moff Grey, what would you say?"

"Give or take a century, 1,000 years behind the standard, yet still able to do some damage."

"Rather weak compared to standard intergalactic tech," Mel finished. "Something that isn't at all Ozpin's fault. Though, I've seen why… you have a nasty infestation of monsters."

"Are you talking about the Grimm?" Branch asked.

"I indeed am," Mel replied. "I heard about what happened almost a week ago: your city was the epicenter of a terrorist attack by some organization called the White Fang, who tried to kill your people by unleashing Grimm into it from an ancient underground tunnel system that leads from a dead colony city to your capital. You should seal that up better. But let's get back to the Emperor. I'll be honest when I say he doesn't really care about your Grimm tearing your cities apart. In fact, he'd probably enjoy your suffering… as long as you aren't part of the Empire." While nobody paid attention because Mel caught them off guard, Ozpin's hands clenched. Yet he remained composed enough to listen. "If you were, he would overlook some of my people coming to help you exterminate the Grimm once and for all so we could focus on uplifting you to the galactic standard, and with it a place in intergalactic politics."

"Are you suggesting we join this Sith Empire?" Lanterns asked.

"It would be really nice you did," Mel answered.

"We would have to contact the other three kingdoms before we decide anything, of course," Lanterns said.

"But you'd save our planet from the Grimm and the White Fang?" Sigal finished. "Something that Huntsmen like Ozpin have failed to do."

"That is not your place to say, Councilor Sigal," Branch interrupted. "Ozpin's methods may be questionable, but he has been protecting our world longer than any of our terms."

"As much as I would love to draft a treaty with you to propose to your allies in Vacuo, Atlas, and Mistral," Mel said, "my real mission was to look for something. And I have found it. The Force."

"The Force?" a man asked.

"You all know it as 'Aura'," the Darth explained. "My part of the galaxy calls it 'the Force'. They're more or less one and the same. However, I'm really jealous of this world because you all can use it. My friend here, Moff Grey, is skilled with a blaster and can kill things several different ways with that and a vibroknife, but she doesn't have my Force abilities. Yet, many of you don't even use them and get along with your daily lives just fine. It's curious. Perhaps I will study your world a little more." She then turned away, and began to walk towards the door, Grey following.

"Wait, that's it?" Sigal asked. "You come in here, spout some information, say that we could join your Empire, and then leave? Just like that?"

"Just like that," Mel answered. "After all, you have to debate this for yourselves with the other Councils. I shouldn't interfere with your world's politics, and not just because I really don't know how things work here yet. You have one week to decide where you stand. And I assure you, Councilors, you have quite a bit to benefit from working with the Empire." With that, she and Grey left the room. When they were sure she was gone, the room burst into chatter, with the Councilors desperately trying to regain order.

Nobody noticed that Ozpin had left the room as well.

* * *

**Cinder's Headquarters—20:47**

"Okay, I'm officially concerned with these brats," Mercury said, looking at a news report on the earlier fight between Team RWBY and Rumwash. "Not only did they ruin our plan by making it go early and lock up Torchwick, but they took on an entire alien army mostly by themselves but with these other alien guys," Looking at the giant masked man behind him, he asked, "So, big guy, you really think you can handle four schoolgirls?"

"I'll be the last man you'll need, I assure you," Adam Taurus replied. "Besides, this is personal."

"Personal?" Emerald asked. "You being ticked about the amount of Faunus that died during the Breach is understandable, yes, but what could be personal about that?"

"I'm not talking about just my fellow Faunus who died because of Torchwick's reckless handling of the Breach plan," Adam said. He was staring at Blake. "How do you want the little redhead, the spoiled Schnee brat, and the blonde Neo almost killed?"

"Well," Emerald recalled her mistress' orders, "Cinder said she could use all of their Semblances, even going as far as adding them to 'the list', so she prefers them alive. Dead is understandable at this point, but disappointing. However, you didn't count the black-haired girl."

"She's not negotiable," Adam said. "You want me to keep this alliance with you all? Blake Belladonna dies exclusively by my sword. None of your assassin stuff you pulled on Tukson."

"Wait a minute, you know her?" Mercury asked. "Hah! And I thought you were an emotionless bull besides rage! So, what's your story? Scorned secret lover? Little sister figure who run off? Mouthy foster kid who knows too much?"

"Try rogue apprentice and former partner in White Fang operations here in Vale," Adam answered. The two younger members in this group all stared at Adam. "Yes, Blake is a traitor and a Faunus. I didn't know she was attending Beacon until the Breach and Cinder called me in. Torchwick and I, for obvious reasons, didn't talk much."

"...Well, darn, if it's important to you," Mercury said, "we'll handle it. We're still undercover at Beacon, so it should be easy Just give us a few days, let the chaos die down while I turn on the charm, then we'll bring her to you."

"Actually, you won't," Cinder spoke up as she walked in. "Sorry, Adam, but I will need you to heel until our more immediate crisis is resolved." She turned the channel to the impromptu press conference Darth Mel just held. "After all, the Sith Empire has returned."

"Of course, they'd decide to get involved right as soon as I find Blake," Adam groaned. "You'd think after ten years, they'd leave us alone."

"Yeah, no," Cinder shook her head. "We both knew this was coming eventually, Adam. Too bad right when I was about to enact my plans for Vale... yeah, the Emperor definitely chose a fine time to grace us with his presence. Please inform the White Fang that Operation Flatline is on hold, and begin preparations for Operation Petal Storm, and Operation Red Shield."

"So she really is alive," Adam said. "Alright, fine. But... if an opportunity to take Team RWBY out of play and kill my former student arises, I will not hesitate to take it."

"Very well," Cinder permitted, "but if pursuing your revenge gets in the way of my goals, there WILL be consequences. Now be a good boy and inform your people. We'll eventually take this city with or without you, Adam. And I happen to like you... so don't mess up." Adam nodded before walking away. Cinder turned to her two cohorts, who shot her confused looks.

"Okay, I'll bite," Mercury said. "What's Operation Petal Storm and Operation Red Shield, and why are we doing both when we should be preparing for our plans for the Vytal Festival?"

"Compared to the potential fallout of Summer Rose being alive and risking her finding out the truth behind Titan's Claw and the fact that I have just realized I'm going after her daughter," Cinder said, "the Vytal Festival plan and acquiring people like Pyrrha Nikos can wait literally a year from now for all I care. As for the other person... well, I always knew the Emperor would be coming for Remnant. I wasn't expecting him so soon, though. And if we're not ready before he gets here... we may as well say goodbye to our goals completely, because there won't be a Remnant left to fight over. To that end, we'll need Torchwick back." Both of the young minions groaned in annoyance.

"Do we really need him?" Emerald asked. "We have his hencewoman!" As if on cue, Neopolitan walked in, looking at Cinder with curiosity.

"Trust me when I say we'll need someone to coordinate the biggest Dust theft of the century because I will need a freighter worth at least to put down both Summer Rose and the Sith Emperor for good. Any left over can be used for the Vytal Festival plans... provided the festival survives the fireworks."

"Wow, you've really thought this through," Emerald said.

"But one question," Mercury asked. "What's so scary about this Summer Rose chick that you'd rather not have her find you?"

"Simple answer," Cinder replied. "She and I go back to before you were born. And I stabbed her in the back and left her for dead. If she figured out it was me... there will be nowhere in the galaxy where we will be able to hide that will be safe from her."

* * *

**Commercial District—21:06**

Mel and Grey walked towards a parking meter, where they spotted a tow truck coming near an Imperial transport ship. Mel looked at the sign, spotting the symbols letters. To her frustration, she couldn't actually read it. She sighed in annoyance, and asked, "What does it say?"

"Too little English-to-Aurebesh work to understand you parked in a tow-away zone?" Ozpin asked, walking towards her with a cup of coffee. "Yeah, that took a bit to help Summer understand the written language barrier, too. Between that, the nightmares, and the bullying she faced because of her brand burned on her face… she had quite the difficult initial time adjusting to this world. Thank God for Taiyang's desire to help her, Qrow's understanding nature and patience, and Raven's sticking up for her. She had a really good team, even if I wasn't on it."

"I don't suppose they take Credits in this part of the galaxy, either," Mel asked while Grey ran over to argue with the tow truck driver.

"The currency is called 'Lien', here," Ozpin replied. "And Credits don't really translate very well."

"I'm going to have my work cut out for me if I get this planet in the Empire," Mel groaned. She then smirked at Ozpin, turning around, and placed her hands to her hips while Grey watched as the tow-truck driver attached the hook to the front of the small transport. Grey at this point began to beg. "So… any particular reason you've followed me? Making sure I didn't get into any trouble? Or are you attracted to me, Ozpin?"

"I assure you, Darth Mel, my interest in you is strictly professional," the Headmaster said, sipping his coffee. "I just wanted to express my concerns about your speech back there."

"Yes, that Sigal man is an idiot if I do say so," Mel said, pouting in mild disappointment that the Headmaster was not taken in by her—by her own standards—good looks. "But I've done what I set out to accomplish thanks to your students and Rumwash's recklessness. I was going to personally kill Rumwash, but the ride down here made me think. There was the incredibly slim chance that he would have actually succeeded to capture Natsumi's daughter. I wasn't betting for him, but if he somehow had pulled it off despite his incompetence, I could go home early and your world wouldn't even be in any further danger from us since realistically it's rather pointless to annex your world until the Republic is defeated once and for all and the Empire could properly expand to the far Outer Rim.

"However, the more likely option that he failed occurred. I could declare him a traitor—which ironically makes him even more useful to me than a loyal Sith. I explain to a young and somewhat naïve society how Imperial society works, get off with a slap on the wrist, instill the fear of a possible Imperial invasion in them, and make them consider joining us. I'd say that is enough of a foothold for me to get started so Darth Crumma doesn't immediately kill me upon arrival. Even though Imperial flags aren't above Vale, I'd call it a win."

"You played quite well for a woman who has only been planetside long enough to get a parking ticket and your ship towed," Ozpin complimented. Mel watched Grey's frustration as their transport was towed away.

"I'm sorry, my Lord," Grey said. "But we have been… towed. Should we go somehow figure out a way to get it back?"

"I'm going to make sure that part doesn't get into the report," Mel said. "If anyone asks, it was destroyed by Ozpin's people in a freak accident while nobody was near it."

"Speaking of my people," Ozpin said, "any particular reason you didn't tell the Council of my activities 20 years ago? Do you feel that I owe you?"

"No, I don't," Mel said. "I admit it would be the smarter immediate move to expose you and the other Huntsmen responsible for Darth Maxdi's death, and let your world's government deal with you. I would avenge Darth Maxdi and be rid of the most dangerous forces that would stop the Empire's annexation of Remnant in one fell swoop and there wouldn't be any more Imperial casualties. However, it could just as easily backfire on me. If Crumma ruins my calculated and collaborative efforts and goes with a full-scale invasion like I think he will, they would immediately turn to you, who has more experience with fighting Sith, to find a way to counter the invasion. You would more than likely be given a full-scale pardon or at least get a lighter sentence in exchange for your service, and I'd come across as a villainous ambassador if Crumma hasn't killed me by that point. And if you all won the battle and Crumma dies while I'm still alive, there's no way Remnant would join the Empire. Not that you would immediately join the Republic either, but there are too many risks unless executions are as quick on this planet as the standard Imperial world.

"Furthermore, if I learned something about you Huntsmen, it's that you are warriors. Sure, Emerald Wizard, if the stories are correct, you pride yourself as a scholar. But you have fought well, and bled well. It's only fair that I respect you as a fellow warrior and my intellectual equal—if not superior—if I let you die with a lightsaber in your hand rather than dangling from a rope. I've figured at this point you've never told your people the truth… and with damn good reason. If the people in charge on this planet knew that you have been knowingly assisting an intergalactic fugitive and denied them advances in technology because you feared what the Republic and Empire would do to your world, you would be ruined and your loved ones would die. I feel you deserve better… besides, if Darth Crumma wins, he'll want to kill you himself."

"You say 'if he wins'," Ozpin noticed. "You don't have much confidence in him… and more in Summer." Mel began pacing.

"A traditional Sith promotion dictates that if two Sith duel to the death, the superior Sith will always win," Mel said. "If the Sith of a higher rank was killed by the lower ranked one, whether it was because of his foolishness like Darth Zanzis, weakness like Darth Cadith, or paranoia like Maxdi, then it was time someone else took their place. That way, we Sith are always ruled by the strongest. Natsumi killed all three of them and has been the closest woman to putting down Crumma like the vicious and unstable Kath Hound like he is, but refused every single time to accept her earned promotion. That has put the Empire in an incredibly dangerous position twice, even if she was considered a heretic, since Zanzis was one of the only two remaining Dark Councilors left from Imperius' botched execution, Cadith took his place, and Maxdi was crowned Emperor. This allowed for Crumma's return from exile by Darth Maxdi's orders and his ascension to the Emperor's seat. Natsumi, by many of my peers, is unforgivable for not filling the void, exile or no. However, compared to Crumma, she cares enough about people, is smarter than him, and earned her right by Sith tradition, while Crumma was too opportunistic in his ascension and weak-minded, no matter how strong he is in body and spirit. She's the only Sith Lord with enough claim to the throne that can revolutionize the Empire and bring this war to an end. I'm not saying that it will end in the Empire's favor, but it would give us a few generations to rebuild and weed out this cancer Crumma's influence has spread."

"Why do you want that other than Crumma being insane?" Ozpin asked.

"…The Empire is hurting, but nobody in power except for me accepts it," Mel answered. "Sure, we've had on-and-off wars for the past millennium—heck, we even bounced back from being nearly wiped out by the Eternal Empire—but nothing like this for twenty years and dealing with curtailing the genuine sociopaths in charge. What is worse is that some of the Dark Councilors are following Crumma's image and making our people suffer for the hell of it. People will not care if they're not Force-sensitive, we're going to have millions of riots in Imperial controlled worlds and we're going to lose them all. If the Empire has to deal with a civil war, the Republic's going to watch as we burn… only for them to catch fire. Even though the Sith approval ratings are at an all-time low, they'll still hate the Republic to the bitter end. The galaxy either doesn't know it or it doesn't care, but it's about to all burn."

"And you think Summer can fix it? Despite the fact that nobody in power likes her?"

"We need a sane ruler," Mel said. "I didn't say she'd have to be initially popular, but she has an idea of everything wrong with the Empire, and how to go about fixing it. Her former Master Darth Imperius taught her well how to be a diplomat. Her approval rating will solve itself in time… but if there is going to be a galaxy to wage war over, Crumma needs the boot and Natsumi needs the crown long enough to pass some serious laws, prevent the backstabbing, and appoint a successor that will keep the entire Empire in check like Maxdi did."

"So, you're not going to expose the Mandalorian Great Hunt?" Ozpin asked.

"I see no reason to bring it up," Mel shrugged. "It's really old news that we can just blackmail each other with. You know that I'm being required to go after your protégé, I know your past and how you refused to bring that level of technology to your planet. Mutually assured destruction by words. So, we won't settle this with words… we'll settle things with lightsabers, vibroswords, blasters, or whatever medieval weaponry you want to use to kill each other at a later date. That is, of course, unless you want to help me deal with Crumma once and for all…"

"And put Summer on a position she doesn't want," Ozpin completed. "You drive a hard bargain for one power play."

"I know," Mel said. "I have to have all my bases covered. Now, if you don't mind, Ozpin… I have to find a quiet spot to call for a pick-up since Grey and I should restore order to our fleet."

"Are you blockading our planet?" Ozpin asked.

"There are nowhere near enough ships for a full Tarisian Blockade-and-Quarantine play from the Jedi Civil War that would prevent people from getting in," Mel said. "But more than enough to prevent the _Glass Eagle_ from getting out of the system on her own without being seriously crippled. I'm supposed to make sure Natsumi doesn't leave the planet. We have the ship codes for the _Eagle,_ so if you try to leave the system in that ship, we'll know and act accordingly. I sincerely hope, Ozpin, that you work with me. We can all come out ahead." Mel then walked away with a sway of her hips, smirking as she did so while Grey followed her. Ozpin himself placed his hand to his chin.

"She's good, I will admit," Ozpin said before taking a sip of his coffee. "Okay, Darth Mel… game on."

* * *

**Right Above Vytal Ocean—00:57**

Rumwash groaned as he awoke. The young Sith found himself surrounded by some form of blue liquid with a breathing mask on, and his robes removed. "Where am I?"

"By all rights, my lord," a male voice spoke up, "you should be dead meat. Appropriate because my men dragged your would-have-been corpse out of a butcher's shop."

Rumwash nearly growled, "If the next words out of your miserable mouth aren't an apology, I will rip out your vocal cord myself. Now, get me out of this bacta tank."

"My lord, you are injured," the voice said, approaching it to reveal a cloaked man. "Still are. Furthermore, your midichlorians and by extension your connection to the Force is... damaged."

"Damaged!?" Rumwash demanded. "How?"

"That blade the blonde boy used on you seemed to have a unique effect on conscious Force-users," the cloaked man said. "Without the force-field effect that Huntsmen have called 'Aura', that sword can wound a Jedi or Sith's connection to the Force. Had he actually knew what he was doing, with all due respect, you would be dead. Thank the Emperor I'm just an agent in Imperial Intelligence. Still that sword and its wielder are going to be trouble."

"It was a fluke," Rumwash insisted. "He barely survived our encounter before. He won't survive the next one."

"And how do you plan to pull that off with your current conditions?" the cloaked Cipher 13 asked. "You have no support from Darth Mel or her forces, you have lost your lightsaber, and you are currently on a ship that is leaving Vale in order to head to the kingdom of Mistral where we have allies on this planet while the blonde boy who defeated you has been returned to Beacon alongside your original target. In short, you neither have the means nor the location to remove Mr. Arc from play."

"What?" Rumwash demanded. "Turn this ship back around, before I gut you! I'm getting my lightsaber back one way or another!"

"My lord," Cipher 13 said, "that would be ill-advised. After all, I saved your life on good faith that you would appreciate my new direction, and bare in mind you barely survived the combined wrath of three Huntsmen and a Sith Lord. Returning to Vale is basically asking to die horribly, and Darth Mel doesn't know yet that I am responsible for you being still alive, so I'm committing treason after she dubbed you a traitor for disobeying her orders with your attack. We already lost Coparo because he was an idiot, but you are smarter than him and stronger."

"And who are you to circumvent my direct orders?" Rumwash demanded.

"Someone who has a better idea of forcing our enemies to come to us where we have the advantage," Cipher 13 replied. "You cannot afford to show your face in Vale, lest our enemies have an easier time dealing with you... but I have an idea of how to win the day on Remnant, capture the Spirit of Roses' daughter, and gain the Emperor's favor, all in one fell swoop."

"Appeal to the Emperor?" Rumwash scoffed. "No... I think I have an idea of exactly how to KILL him. And it will allow me to gleefully pry that sword from that blonde fool's smoldering fingers."

"Dangerous talk, but very promising," Cipher 13. "But... if I may be so bold, my lord, you would need to distract the Emperor rather than face him head-on once you had the blade. And I have an idea of how to do just that."

"Let's assume for a moment that I'm interested," Rumwash replied. "How would we do that?"

Beneath his hood, Cipher 13 had a grin. However, he didn't let Rumwash see it. "My lord," Cipher 13 asked, "have you ever wondered how Natsumi Himura, former Imperial slave turned rogue Light Sith Lord, managed to find this planet? And other than fleeing the Empire, why did she come here?"

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: And cut. Sorry about the more-or-less filler chapter and the one that will be immediately after this one (exposition that was thankfully cut down from the original draft). However, I wanted to show just how Vale was reacting to the presence of the Empire, the Empire's counter-move, and a bit of humanizing the Sith. It's not that bad of an idea, right?

Morality in the _Star Wars_ main timeline (i.e. the films, _The Clone Wars_ animated series, _Rebels,_ this new movie coming out that serves as a direct prequel to "A New Hope", this new book coming out about how the immediate fall-out after the Battle of Endor ending with the Empire's defeat and the deaths of Darth Vader and Darth Sidious did not mean the Empire was completely destroyed and sets up for the new trilogy, a.k.a. "how real life war works") is a bit of a problem. The expanded universe does a better job establishing the fact that there is a lot of gray in the universe than much of the canon timeline, where it's presented much as "Republic/Jedi/Rebels all good guys, and Empire/Sith/Separtists all bad guys". Also, even though RWBY is somewhat similar in terms of morality (Huntsmen are the good guys compared to the chaotic evil Grimm), it has quite a bit of gray to it, too (i.e., Weiss was previously racist against Faunus BECAUSE the White Fang has killed many people close to here in the past and she hasn't had a good childhood because of it, Blake technically was a member of an extremist group that now seems hellbent on genocide of the human race, Ironwood betraying Ozpin due to mistrust, Jaune cheating his way into Beacon and Pyrrha being just as academically dishonest by not reporting it, Sun's petty thievery, Team CRDL, just to name some things). So why not humanize heroes and some villains when it still happens? Mel cares about the Empire enough despite being in a position where she would be expected to not give a whole lot of concern.

Anyway, Torchwick seems like he has plans to escape, and take advantage of the chaos that is the Empire and Republic's battle in Vale. And also, Cinder needs him AND knows just what is going on. Her main game-plan, however, has to be put on hold BECAUSE of the chaos in order to take part in a three-way battle with Crumma and Summer (the former because he's that much of a threat, and the latter because Cinder knows Summer and has a secret). We'll just see what it is, later.

Finally, Rumwash and Cipher 13... we all know the shadowy intelligence agent has a plan, but what is it that he has the guts to talk down a Sith and get away with it? And why DID Summer come to Remnant? We'll have to find out soon. But we have reviews to answer, so...

**AlastorGodofVengeance:** I thank you for adding a review.

Yeah, I have to legitimately make-up these attacks. My head-canon is that Ruby, knowing her uncle was a leader of his own team, decided to call him one day and talk strategy. Qrow then revealed that he, Raven, Taiyang, and Summer developed "combinations" that did devastating damage in a brief time. Since Team QRTS is considered Team RWBY's predecessor team by a generation, it's only fair that they passed the torch of combos. As for the Lioness Cannon, I really... really wanted to use it. However, I wanted to point out the huge flaws that make it an all-or-nothing attack (i.e. charge time, Ruby having to aim, difficult balancing of Weiss and Blake's Dust and Yang's high Aura to do damage and decrease the risks that come from recoil, and there's no guarantee the enemy won't be distracted). Don't worry, I plan to at least fire it off ONCE.

That wind tunnel attack needs to be used again in Volume 3. Vytal Festival, Team ABRN rivalry, it's gonna happen somehow.

Fun fact about how I imagined Ruby and Summer's family... prior to Summer being a slave, of course. I actually imagined their "hat" is them being skilled with technology. Especially weaponry, being the best damn smiths on Alderaan (because, honestly, those non-lightsaber weapons and armor we all see in the _Star Wars_ universe have to be made SOMEWHERE that's not just Balmorra). However, this is now going to be hard, because I had Ruby originally set to build a vibration cell into Crescent Rose (you know, Ruby's already fast speed and powerful swings will be able to do more damage with a vibro-weapon). But if I can figure out a way to turn Crescent Rose into a lightsaber scythe/blaster sniper rifle, I will. If not, well... I can always make Burning Rose, which basically is a smaller Crescent Rose with those settings.

**New Universe Returns:** You are basically Summer's entire argument/concern with the Jedi/Republic and Sith/Empire in this story right now. Summer is the first to admit the Jedi do have serious flaws (their over-cautiousness with emotions, their reluctance to get involved in affairs until its too late, and sometimes how hypocritical they can be), and Ruby herself lacks the disposition for the Jedi Order. In fact, the closest member of Teams RWBY and JNPR who have anything akin to the Jedi disposition is Pyrrha and possibly Blake (Pyrrha is a skilled warrior who is patient, calm, and friendly and does believe in the light if one recalls her exposition about Aura to Jaune towards the beginning of this series has anything to say, while Blake may seem initially stoic, but is a freedom fighter deep down). Ruby, as much as she's my favorite character, has quite the reckless streak similar to Anakin, even though it's mellowed out significantly, and Ruby (just like Annie) is a bit of a rebel starting in Volume 2 (while in Episode II, Anakin was a rebel of a Jedi). Bear in mind she's not as big of a complainer as Anakin, but she craves action.

Dear god, I just made Ruby an expy of pre-Vader Anakin. Better fix that!

**Shiloh 1990:** Team CFVY just basically won this chapter. Considering the fact that these guys are upper-classmen (and it's heavily implied Velvet didn't destroy Team CRDL out of PRINCIPLE), of course they're overpowered and Prof. Port trusts them enough to handle an entire counter-attack by themselves.

As for Ironwood... I understand WHY people make him an antagonist (mainly because they hate how he betrayed Ozpin at the end of Volume 2, took over the Vytal Festival, and he seems to be setting up for Cinder's plans), but yeah, I agree with you in the sense that he's a well-intended extremist. And until it's clear that he's a villain, that's how I'm setting up his character: a man who is a good guy, but is willing to go to extremes to get things done. In this story's sense, it's primarily because he didn't exactly "recover" from the Mandalorian Great Hunt as well as everyone else (not saying that the others were much better, it's more of they had the biggest impact on him). In short, he's paranoid that something will threaten the planet he holds so dear.

Furthermore, he's a soldier more than a Huntsman now (post Great Hunt he joined the military to set things right with Remnant), and he follows most of his orders, regardless of how unfortunate they might be. By Ozpin not revealing information to him about what he had in mind for what to do about Cinder, Ironwood began assuming the worst... that Ozpin was up to something. Is he right or wrong, Volume 3 will show. But if the Council orders Ironwood to do something big (such as arrest or eliminate Ozpin), he will do so, albeit with a heavy heart because they used to be good friends. That, ladies and gentlemen, is my interpretation of Ironwood's character and why he ultimately betrayed Ozpin at the end of Volume 2.

**Nerdfughter1309 **and **dvileza**: Funny you should mention lightsaber colors. Adding your votes to the total here on FanFiction and the poll I have on my deviantART (BladeSquall in case anyone was curious), I have a lightsaber count. We have totaled up about 6 for white, 5 for silver, 3 for blue, 2 for purple, 1 for orange, and because it amused me, 1 for gold. So far, it looks like Summer's got a white lightsaber. If anyone wants to still add votes, the poll is still going.

**RedemptionWarrior:** Yeah, Jaune does fight better with adrenaline. He's not as skilled in swordplay as Pyrrha, but he's good when he's driven. He single-handedly killed an Ursa at the end of Volume 2, which is much better than anyone else who simply watches this show, so props to that. And he also got the only blood-drawing hit on Rumwash of his generation so there's that.

And yeah, Crocea Mors, in this story at least, has a special property that affects Force-users. This isn't an original idea to give Crocea Mors something beyond being a classic sword and shield where the shield is a collapsible sheath, but it's a great idea.

**A.K.b00m:** You know, that would make sense on top of my Ironwood theory about his shell-shocked veteran status. Their respective teams calmed them down, and Team QRTS stepped in to balance things out. But I enjoyed writing the chapter.

**dan45000:** Darth Vader? Perhaps... but I'm not so sure HOW.

**silvereagle2121:** I understand if this wasn't your cup of tea. I should have warned people from the summary that it's in the Old Republic era and OCs would be central to the plot. Fixed that now, so people wouldn't be confused. The OCs are mainly from the Star Wars line, and this story does mainly focus on Ruby and Summer (hence the characters on the actual summary not mentioning Luke or Anakin). The reasons I didn't use the Rise of the Empire/Rebellion Era (a.k.a. the eras most fans/newcomers to the series are familiar with) is because I didn't want to ruin the main timeline of the _Star Wars _series, I had a lot more creative freedom without stepping on toes, I didn't feel that this concept would EVER be good enough to tie into the canon universe, and I couldn't find a way to justify Remnant being a key location in one of the major wars (because why would the Separatists go after Remnant, and the Empire is trying to crush the Rebellion, not just take over random Outer Rim/Rishi Maze planets). I understand your recommendation of using familiar characters, but for the purpose of a more creative narrative, I went with this approach.

Alright, that is it! Farewell, subjects!


	8. Chapter 8: The Nightmares Return

A/N: To celebrate the beginning of Volume 3 of _RWBY_ (and the fact that I have gotten my Jedi Knight storyline on _The Old Republic_ through Act 1 (her name is a character in this story, BTW)), here is more _Soul of Remnant_.

* * *

**Unknown Location—Unknown Time**

Ruby looked around her. She only spotted the metallic decor and the vastness of space out of a window. She spotted the shattered moon of Remnant just outside. But what shook her off balance was, in spite of the beautifully cruel view, nobody else stood with her. Not a single person in sight. Just her, Crescent Rose, and a colossal double door. Seeing as there was no other way out, she decided to walk towards the metal doors. To her surprise, the doors opened, revealing a chilling sight.

In the room, across a thin walkway, was a giant, circular platform. Only one figure, a seven-foot-tall goliath of a Sith Pureblood with part of his face and the top of his scalp covered with a nasty burn, his golden eyes gleaming with some seriously foul intentions (an odd contrast to Naywi's innocent yellow), and his body riddled with cybernetic enhancements, stood in the center of the circle. He was wearing heavy-looking black armor with red glowing lines that—in a weird way—reminded Ruby of Penny's green lines.

But the most disturbing part of this was the sight of Weiss, Blake, and Yang lying at his feet. None of them were moving, and various places of their bodies had burn wounds. Ruby gasped, realizing just what she was looking at: her team had fallen in battle. "N... No!"

Now, a lot of people questioned Ruby's approach to death. How when facing Grimm, gangsters, White Fang, giant robot mechs, or Sith attacks, she never really paid much heed to her own well-being. She didn't really fear death much, even though she had somewhat of an understanding of death. However, a lot of people did not know that it was NOT her own death that Ruby was concerned about. The deaths of those close to her, however, was a whole new ballpark.

It was shaking to see her sister's dead body lying on the ground, there. But Blake and Weiss? The two girls she went above and beyond trying to befriend this school year and succeeding, despite Weiss' initial arrogance and Blake's secrets and obsessions? That was also overwhelming. Which was probably why she wasn't prepared for an attack as the Sith made his move.

The figure pushed out with the Force, knocking Ruby back. She got up quickly, just in time to whip out Crescent Rose and block the lightsaber that came down from the giant Sith. She and the warrior began exchanging blows, Ruby noting that his strength was quite impressive, but she was quicker had a longer reach. During a clash, as the large Sith was pressing his lightsaber down on Ruby's scythe, she fired a shot straight through the beam. He growled in pain while the Dust round exploded in his face and Ruby herself slid back from the explosion.

Luckily for Ruby, her Aura took the brunt of the blow, so she was fine. The same couldn't be said for her beloved weapon, however. When the reaper got up, she looked to see Crescent Rose's barrel had, due to the combined heat of the lightsaber and the point-blank explosion from a Dust round, had melted blade, however, was barely attached. She couldn't fight with a heavily damaged weapon. However, the Sith stood up, his face and parts of his armor smoking from the damage.

The Sith had decided this was enough playing around with Ruby. His eyes seemed to glow purple, and he raised his metallic hands skywards with a fierce roar. The next thing Ruby knew, the floor beneath her began to shake.

Beneath the Sith and the bodies of her teammates, the platform exploded, revealing a giant black creature emerged. It had a pair of leathery wings, its body was twice the size as a Goliath, its eyes the shade of her cape beneath the bony carapace adorning its head and traveling down its vertebrae and the top of its wings, and four massive reptilian limbs. Ruby had heard of this type of Grimm in her fairy tales that her mother told her, but she had never really seen one before this moment... even in a nightmare.

She was staring down a Black Dragon. And the Sith was standing on top of it.

But the Grimm seemed to ignore its passenger. In fact... it was almost like the Grimm was being submissive to the Sith. Its eyes even turned the same purple glow as his own eyes. A feat like that, with even lower class Grimm, seemed impossible.

"Know my name, slave," the Sith finally spoke as he looked down at the small reaper. "For I am your future. I am your Master. I am your owner. I am your world's destroyer. I. Am. Crumma!" He then waved his hand, and suddenly, several more Grimm swarmed around what was left of the platform, and Ruby found herself surrounded by Beowolves to Ursae to even a few Nevermores and Deathstalkers. All of them lost their usual free will and had purple eyes as well, like they were being possessed. "Behold the true power of the Dark Side!" With that, he clapped his hands, and the Grimm began lunging at Ruby—

* * *

**Beacon Academy—Team RWBY Dorm—05:34**

"RUBY!" Weiss yelled, shaking Ruby awake. The younger redhead began breathing hard, clearly disturbed by Crumma's power. She sat up, finding herself in her older sister's arms bridal style and looked at the concerned faces of all of her teammates and Zwei.

"It's alright, little sis," Yang said, bringing Ruby into a hug. "You were only having a nightmare... one that made you fell out of your bed. It's a good thing I heard you."

"I... wouldn't call it that," Ruby said. "Somehow, with the Force... the Sith Emperor that's after Mom reached out to me. He... he's going to kill you all!"

"Wait a minute," Blake asked, "he can do that? I get it the Force is some type of psychic power, but attacking you through your dreams?"

"And somehow he controlled control Grimm," Ruby added. "You all... you all were dead! Thank God you're alive...!"

"Why was it us being dead scared you?" Weiss questioned while the blonde sat the dark redhead down on her bed. Yang pulled her and Blake to the side, but not before grabbing Zwei, and putting him on Ruby's lap so he could lick her face and comfort her.

"Ruby doesn't fear her own death," Yang whispered. "Before we found out Mom was alive, Ruby reasoned that if she died, she died and got to be reunited with Mom. End of story. It's... other people dying that Ruby has a problem with. Especially when they die for _**her.**_ The reason why Ruby is so socially awkward compared to yours truly... is because before Beacon, she was afraid to get too close to anyone out of the sheer risk that they would suddenly die like Mom supposedly did. Ruby was so close to Mom that when we felt her die, the emotional feedback actually physically hurt her. Sure, it hurt me and Dad too, but not like Ruby. Ruby had to be hospitalized just because of how bad it was, like she was having a bad fever and a heart attack... at five years old. And afterwards, Ruby was just confused and scared. She didn't open up for a while... and she started getting a death wish, doing dumb things. It took Uncle Qrow agreeing to train her like he did me for her to grow out of it."

"Wow, you really sugarcoated the fallout of your stepmother's apparent death," Blake said. She looked at her team leader's depressed face. "We're still going to try to protect her, right? From this Sith Emperor and anything else."

"Like it was ever up for debate?" Yang smirked.

"Of course it wasn't," Weiss replied. "Ruby, are you okay, now? We're here for you, dolt." Ruby sniffed a little, but eventually jumped out of her bunk bed. Yang then dragged Ruby, Blake, and Weiss into a group hug, Zwei leaping down and rubbing Ruby's leg affectionately. "Okay, enough affection!"

"...Thanks, girls," Ruby smiled after the hug broke. "I'm sorry I worried you... but... the Emperor is coming. I hate being scared, but..."

_**BEEP!**_

"Hold on," Yang said, looking at Ruby and her own Scrolls. Both of them had a message from Qrow.

'_Ruby, Yang, we need to talk. Summer sensed Ruby was suffering. Ozpin's Office, around 11. Earliest I can get him. Qrow.'_

* * *

**Beacon Academy—Ozpin's Office—10:53**

"…_And I assure you, Councilors,"_ Mel smirked, "_you have quite a bit to benefit from working with the Empire."_

"_This marks the end of the mysterious Darth Mel's meeting with the Vale Council following the attack yesterday,"_ Lisa explained. "_But this does conclude much of what everyone was thinking: we are not alone in the universe. Apparently, there is a governing body called 'the Sith Empire' from beyond the stars, rivaled by 'the Galactic Republic' and the 'Hutt Cartel'. The attack was led by a criminal who was one of Darth Mel's rogue associates who decided to conquer the city. This attack was, of course, thwarted by Beacon Academy's own Huntress-in-training team, Team RWBY, with the assistance of Teams JNPR and CFVY. However, the rogue agent is still out there, and we don't know Darth Mel's true motives other than she's seeking something on our planet. But we do know one thing." _A clip of Summer Rose and Qrow Branwen destroying Rumwash's rogue droids. "_This mysterious woman, a redhead with a white cloak and a Semblance of manipulating gravity, was responsible for finishing the battle. But who is she and what are her goals? We here at Rooster News' 'Good Morning Vale' will find out. This is Lisa Lavender, signing off."_

"Well," Goodwitch said, "at least she was nice enough to not immediately make demands of Miss Rose gift-wrapped in exchange for Remnant's safety. Which means she's up to something. Too bad she used those Sith responsible for attacking Qrow's farm and Vale as chess pieces."

"And I played right into it," Qrow groaned. "Empire kicked our butts without actually beating us in a fight."

"And here I thought you said that we were done with the Jedi and Sith twenty years ago," Ironwood spoke up, looking at Ozpin. "We crippled the Sith Empire, destroyed the Sith Academy on Korriban, killed Darth Maxdi, helped Qrow's team win the Great Hunt, and even stopped that crazy Jedi from wiping out our planet just like how she had the Republic kill Summer's old family—over a hunch, no less."

"I thought so, too," Ozpin said. "But they are both here, and Ruby and Summer are a part of the reason why. What's worse, is that according to our prisoners, Summer's former childhood nemesis Crumma had an easy climb to Emperor thanks to us taking out Darth Maxdi without guaranteeing that the Sith would continue enough in-fighting for the Jedi to just mop up."

"You know, Taiyang just asked me if we should have told Ruby and Yang the truth years ago," Qrow said, leaning on the wall. "This is our fault after all… we never thought they'd bother us again. And Crumma's hitting Ruby's dreams, just like he did to Summer."

"What's happened has happened," Goodwitch said. "Now, we have at least four Jedi and an entire squad of Republic Special Forces running around Vale, while Darth Mel and her Sith are beginning to secure their foothold, this on top of the White Fang and their mysterious associates. We can't fight a three-front battle." Glaring at Ironwood, she added, "Especially when we can barely trust each other anymore."

"And Summer and Raven are in the old place," Qrow said, ignoring Goodwitch's anger at the Atlesian General. "With a Jedi Padawan and R0... at least," Qrow said. "I know Summer's smart, but she better have a good plan that would require cooperating with the Jedi, because there's no way she'd do so without a good reason now that Dohet's apparently dead. This is asking to backfire."

Goodwitch added, "Speaking of Summer, you said she actually threatened the Jedi Order to back off from Ruby? She became quite the mother bear."

"I guess she wanted to prevent Yang and Ruby from having a terrible childhood like hers by being exposed to the galaxy's never-ending Jedi vs. Sith, Republic vs. Empire conflict," Ozpin guessed.

"Does it matter?" Ironwood interrupted. "What is important is that Team RWBY returned safely to Beacon. And what also matters is that our old 'friends' from both the Republic and the Empire are once again bothering us. This close to the Vytal Festival, too…"

"I know what you're what you're thinking, James," Goodwitch interrupted. "I know you're now in charge of Vale's protection after the Breach and you stabbed Ozpin in the back, endangering his career when he needs in on the action the most in the process, because you're paranoid."

"Actually, he stabbed me in the front," Ozpin corrected. "And, ironically, I don't blame him for doing it. I haven't been completely open with you all, Glynda, and I underestimated how prepared our enemies were as well as how involved Team RWBY would make themselves."

"Wow," Ironwood said, "that was shocking of you. I thought you'd be bitter."

Taking a sip of his coffee, Ozpin said, "Trust me, I have coffee for that, James. You acted according to your military training, so I can't blame you, even though I don't appreciate you throwing me under the bus. Our friendship hasn't exactly been completely stable, though. We can hate each other when we're not about to go to war with Crumma." Goodwitch stood flabbergasted at Ozpin's blatant refusal to defend his position.

"Okay, let's focus on the more immediate problem, people," Qrow interrupted. "As dickish as James throwing Ozpin under the bus was, we have a three-front war. We have the Republic and the Empire gunning for us, Ruby is a target, the Queen is still in the shadows, the White Fang are probably finishing up sharpening their teeth and licking their wounds, and we have a Vytal Festival around the corner... which I'm personally questioning why that's even on the table at this point, because we're about to get bludgeoned by all directions, and a lot of people in one place where our enemies can attack isn't going to be pretty."

"If we cancel the festival," Goodwitch answered, "not only do we risk appearing weak to our enemies, but a lot of our non-Huntsman mission revenue will not be generated, so we'll lose a lot of funding for the Huntsman Academies."

"Fine, we'll keep the festival going," Qrow scowled. "But I don't approve right now with a war going on."

"Qrow does have a point that this all needs to be dealt with as soon as possible," Ozpin said. "But first, we have a few confessions. Now, do you all know what you're gonna say?" Before anyone could confirm or deny things, the elevator beeped, and out came Team RWBY. Ruby was depressed, Blake was still confused, and Weiss looked frustrated at Yang, who was finishing a story.

"And then the voices talked about how awesome I was," Yang finished.

"Forgive me for being absurd, but you're telling me you won that fight against that bartender with an Ember Celica recoil neck-snap, all because she wouldn't give you a strawberry sunrise after you beat up the bouncer?" Weiss raised an eyebrow.

"I'm still wrapping my head around the dolphin punching you in the face and you exploding twice," Blake replied.

"Yeah, I knew it was a dream by that point, but dream or no, nobody touches my hair without my permission and lives," Yang concluded. She then realized they were in Ozpin's office. "Oh, hi... were we interrupting?"

"No, come in," Goodwitch said. "We were just talking about the end of the world... again. Please, have a seat." The four walked over to the adults, and sat down.

"Hey, Uncle Qrow," Ruby began. "…Sorry about earlier. it was a really bad dream. Though not as weird as Yang's. Was that bartender's Semblance gambling?"

"That would explain the slot machine," Yang shrugged.

"Don't mention it, Little Wolf," Qrow smiled, rubbing her hair in an affectionate manner. "Truth be told, I have spent the past several years asking myself if I should have trained you and Yang about things like this in addition to Taiyang and my basic combat training we've given you… for more than just Grimm and boys."

"Your dad and uncle trained you for self defense against boys?" Blake asked the two sisters who were groaning. "Was this before or after your father bought a dog that he sends through the mail?"

"Dad was always paranoid about us and boys," Ruby said. "It's because Yang's pretty, and I'm… what am I?"

"Adorable?" Yang offered.

"Aw, thanks!" Ruby beamed, hugging her sister.

"My dad was always the same about Raven," Qrow added. "A lot of people see farmer's daughters as attractive for obvious reasons, but Raven wasn't as naïve as they would have liked. Anyway, girls, even if you did know what you were going up against, I don't think it would have been your fault for me having to step in. Nobody could have prepared you to face an Imperial invasion, especially one with a 'scorched earth' mentality."

"Speaking of," Yang interrupted, "Summer was a Sith?"

Qrow frowned. "She considers herself more of a Huntress than a Sith," he answered. "But yes, Summer, in her old life as 'Natsumi Himura', was trained on the Sith Imperial planet of Korriban as an acolyte in using the Force as a weapon to fight, to kill, to destroy, and to deceive… or die trying. To use the Dark Side of the Force to conquer."

"So, it's like Evil Beacon," Weiss pointed out.

"You know it's disturbing when you think about it," Ozpin commented. "The Sith Academy on Korriban was like our Huntsman and Huntress Academies, but we don't kill our students for failure."

"Was?" Blake asked.

"To make a long story short," Goodwitch said. "Peter had the highest Force-user body count of all of us for a reason." All four members of Team RWBY looked at each other, confused by what Prof. Port could have possibly done to this academy.

"But anyway," Qrow said, "If Ruby and Yang recall correctly, Summer was not a cruel mom, was she?"

"Nope," Ruby answered. "Mom was really kind, sweet, and with what I have heard, a great Huntress."

"One of the best," Qrow nodded. "According to Taiyang, she came to Remnant in one of the most memorable ways. Literally. How many times do you come in a damaged, space-worthy smuggler vessel alongside a cool old guy who knows how to fly with a collection of ancient alien keys to a war machine?"

"Ancient alien devices?" Ruby asked. Qrow took out a red cube-like object with strange symbols, and held it out to his niece.

"Ruby… I want you to concentrate your Aura on this," Qrow answered. "And promise not to freak out." Ruby awkwardly took the device, and closed her eyes, while the rest of her team looked on in curiosity. She inhaled, and her body began to glow a bright red, and her new box also was surrounded with a red glow. The box then folded open, revealing a small circular object. Ruby opened her eyes, and gasped.

"Did I do that?" the younger reaper asked. Qrow chuckled at the innocence of his niece.

"Wait for it," he spoke with a raised hand. Ruby looked at the circular device, and spotted it beginning to flicker. The device then levitated an odd, high-tech key with strange symbols from the center of it, which floated towards Ruby. As the key placed itself in Ruby's right palm, the hologram of a strange, alien creature suddenly appeared.

"_[Downloading slave species' native language,]"_ the creature squeaked out. The next thing anyone knew, it scanned Ruby. "_Language set to Human tongue. Greetings, slave. I am known as the Creative One. I am the architect of the glorious Star Forge, constructor of the Infinite Engine, chief researcher of our powerful Force magic, and your rightful Master."_

"Whoa," Ruby breathed, looking at the device.

"Did that thing just call Ruby a slave?" Blake asked with hands clenched.

"Focus," Qrow advised.

"_If you are seeing this pre-recorded message, then I have fallen and you have arrived at your destination," _the Creative One answered.

"Oh, so we just got posthumously insulted by an alien mad scientist dictator with a god complex," Yang concluded.

"_I set this message to inform you of the importance of your one task: protecting the Remnant Keys,"_ the alien continued. "_In the event that the rebel slaves invade Remnant and seize my greatest weapon, the Star of Semblance, they will not be able to fire it upon the Infinite Empire. But to be on the safe side, I have given each of you one of the six keys, and sentenced you to a life in exile on these planets. And I have hidden away the exact coordinates of where the planet the weapon is buried within and split it amongst these holocrons. That way, no one has the full location or all six keys at once, and I will be assured that you were successful guardians."_

"He… threw his servants to the curb?" Weiss blanched. "All to guard some stupid trinkets!? That's… disgusting!"

"_I do not care if you find me a cruel master,"_ the Creative One said, almost as if he predicted Weiss' protest eons ago. "_For you all solely exist to serve the glory of the Infinite Empire. In life, you've served me well as both slaves and test subjects. In death on these worlds you've never known, you serve even greater, taking a piece of knowledge about Remnant to your unmarked graves. A shame you will not live to see the Rakata regain our powerful magic and crush this rebellion in an instant. Die well, serving the Infinite Empire!"_ With that, the message died, leaving four disturbed teenage girls looking at a collection of planets and stars, as well as strange symbols.

Ruby, in spite of her visible disgust about the Creative One brushing off his cruelty as some kind of righteous cause (when it was anything but), looked at the mini-galaxy in her hands. As angry and sickened as she was by the Creative One, she couldn't help but admire the beautiful sight. "Is this…?"

"This is a map of our galaxy, yes," Ironwood said as the device closed. "From beyond Remnant." Ruby looked at the military general. "Once upon a time, I saw parts of that galaxy. It's a big place… and some of the atrocities I saw, the war that was being fought turned me from being just a Huntsman to a life in the military when I got back. None of us walked away from that particular adventure unchanged." Rolling up his right sleeve, he revealed his right arm was artificial. "This was a scar from a Sith Lord. Still hurts."

"Adventure?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah," Qrow said. "Our world's history begins with man emerging from the dust, the Grimm determined—for reasons we have yet to understand why—trying to kill us, and nearly succeeding if it weren't for mankind finding magic infused Dust to win the first Grimm War. And then kingdoms were formed, and then we had the Dust Wars, and the most recent and ugly-titled 'Beast War' back when I was a kid. Everyone forgets that humans and Faunus alike are living on borrowed time, because honestly, we're all dead as soon as we run out of Dust or as soon as the oldest and most powerful Grimm on the planet decide to just overpower our kingdoms."

"That's pretty dark, Uncle Qrow," Ruby pointed out.

"I warned you I'm not sugarcoating anything," Qrow replied. "Chances are we'll all be long dead when the former happens, but the latter could occur at any time. But our story really begins a long time before that. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… or in particular, almost 26,000 years ago, give or take a few centuries, a powerful alien race conquered the galaxy using powers similar to Aura called 'the Force'. They were called the 'Rakata'—that alien who was mocking you a couple minutes ago. All other races, as far, as they were concerned, existed to serve these monsters. Therefore, they used the Force to torture and enslave the galaxy. I don't know the exact specifics of why or how, maybe some type of intergalactic war, but the Rakata lost their Force abilities while their former slaves broke their chains and members of their species developed the Force for themselves. Many of the Rakata started dying out, but legends believe that some of them came to the far reaches of the universe… to our area."

"The Rakata came to Remnant?" Ruby asked. "Led by this… Creative One."

"We believe that may be the case," Ironwood said. "He impacted a young humanity that was first starting out on this world, as well as the native humanoid species, the Faunus… and possibly experimented on Remnant. At least, this explains the holocron. This one, according to Summer, was found buried in the Tomb of Ajunta Pall, one of the earliest Sith Lords who founded the order on Korriban."

"As you already know," Qrow said, "Summer was a Sith and she carried holocrons such as the one in Ruby's hand. That device can only be opened by channeling Aura—or rather, the Force—through it. Almost every single Huntsman and Huntress has their Aura unlocked by the time they arrive at a Huntsman Academy. But the Force is a far more powerful variation of Aura… whereas we Hunters only use Aura besides our Semblances as a means of increasing our attack and defense when combating Grimm, the Force, used by Jedi and Sith alike, is the literal soul of the universe, and can be used in an innumerable amount of ways. Huntsmen use the Force, too, but in such different ways that Jedi and Sith can't predict how we'll move, and our weapons are resistant to their lightsabers thanks to Remnant's metals and our Aura enhancements. In short, we counter each other, but Jedi and Sith have advantages over us in that they have superior tech at their disposal and their teaching methods are easier to pass on.

"Anyway the holocrons contain things called 'Remnant Keys'. The key is one of six that were spread throughout the galaxy by the Creative One to planets the Rakata still held: Korriban, Hoth, Dubrillion, Taris, Lothal, and Alderaan. Unfortunately, since these were people from Remnant who had no idea how starships worked or what was going on, they did not survive long enough to be rescued by the rebels or the ancient Jedi, hence why we've never heard of these people. However, their holocrons survived, and they were eventually recovered."

"By Mrs. Rose during her time as a Sith Lord," Weiss concluded.

"I wouldn't call her a Sith Lord during the time she got this," Qrow answered, "but yeah, that's pretty much it. You girls don't have to worry about going around the galaxy on some strange quest to find a bunch of ancient artifacts that point to some ancient evil superweapon. Summer's done that part for you. And finding the weapon. She and the rest of Team STRQ, alongside two members of Team OPAL and two from Team JNGL—made sure the device was sealed using not just the keys of the creative one to seal the door, but our combined Aura. Nothing short of the combined power—or the combined deaths—of all eight of us could unseal the barricade allowing the keys to be used. And with Summer's temporary death… we only have seven barriers left."

"Whoa," Ruby breathed. "...So, does this mean Dad's in trouble when he finds out that he married Mom after thinking Raven was dead?"

"The jury is still out about that," Qrow interrupted. "I mean, Raven was stubborn as a kid—hotheaded, too—but she and Summer both loved Taiyang. I'm willing to bet she regretted leaving Taiyang, who was arguably the best damn boy she ever had."

"I'm willing to bet they both still love him," Yang said. Qrow looked at his niece, while Ruby looked at her sister. "We're going to have the most awkward family reunion when we're all in the same place."

"I'm still confused as to how Mom's still alive," Ruby commented. "I… I sensed it. You sensed it too, Yang. Uncle Qrow and Dad sensed it… but yet, here she is."

Goodwitch smiled, "Both Summer and Raven weren't going to die easily. What happened to them?"

"I don't know apart from my biological mom getting abducted by aliens and my foster mom dying and coming back to life," Yang said. "But they made me promise to keep Ruby safe. I'm not ready to forgive my biological mom for the almost eighteen years of my life she missed. However, if yesterday was a sample of what I have to protect Ruby from, I'm going to need to know everything about how to ruin a Force user's day in order to do it."

"Let's not do anything reckless," Qrow interrupted. "I get it, you're angry. And I have a lot to say to Raven when I see her again. Not 'if', but 'when', and I suggest everyone back away when it happens or put plastic and newspapers on the floor, because it will get ugly. However, Yang, you should calm down before running into a fight." Looking at Ruby, he said, "Now, where was I? Oh, yes… the Aura we all used to seal away that weapon."

"Perhaps I should explain this one," Ozpin spoke up. "As you all know, Aura is what protects us from physical harm and allows Hunters to fight and defeat Grimm. We even can channel it through inanimate objects. Your food fight with Team JNPR towards the beginning of this semester speaks volumes of that. Since we can channel our Auras into inanimate objects, we can strengthen said objects into doing what we wish of them, such as say, a door. If you generate enough Aura, you can force open a door, or permanently seal it. However, for a door the size we needed to lock, most humans and Faunus cannot do so alone, as the task would require more Aura than one person has. If a person uses too much Aura to seal an object, it would drain the life force out of them. After all, Aura is a manifestation of the soul, and using it up like that would more than likely kill a person. That is why to seal something like we did, it took eight of us to simply seal one of the most dangerous weapons that was created by the Rakata away for good, and it is not enough to guarantee that the weapon will never be used."

"If this weapon is that dangerous," Blake asked, "then why not just destroy it then and there? Why seal it away with your Auras combined if your life forces are all it takes to keep it up?"

"Because Darth Imperius said the weapon cannot be destroyed through the conventional means we have here on Remnant," Goodwitch answered. "Not without destroying the planet, at least."

"Darth Imperius?" Ruby asked. "I heard that name before, but I don't know who that is."

"She was Summer's mentor in the ways of the Sith," Qrow answered. "I never met the Twi'lek in the flesh, as she was already dead by the time we met her Force ghost. Twi'leks are humanoid aliens with two head-tails called 'lekku' instead of hair. However, rather than the Dark Side… Summer and she walked a rare path in the Sith, loyal to the Sith Code, but the path of the Light. To let her emotions guide her, but to do some good and redeem and rebuild the Sith Empire… for all of the good that did when Imperius was killed by the Dark Council led by Darth Maxdi, the former Sith Emperor. Summer came to Remnant as Imperius' power base collapsed, ironically finding the weapon that she was seeking to destroy so nobody, Imperial or Republic, could use it."

"Wait," Weiss interrupted. "Let me get this straight. Remnant is the home to a colossal superweapon that if the wrong hands could destroy the galaxy, and these Jedi and Sith have been fighting over it for at least the past twenty-four years, and we can't do anything about it?"

"Essentially," Ironwood answered. "Well, that and Dust, which we unfortunately need if we're going to have any chance of survival against the Grimm long enough to become a space-flight capable planet on our own and escape our planet's inevitable doom. Now, this leads to the weapon. We don't exactly know how it actually works apart from requiring the keys to activate it… which Qrow had stored safely scattered after Summer's supposed death. But the weapon itself may have had a test-firing target… Remnant's moon."

"Remnant's moon?" all four members of Team RWBY asked, looking at the sky. Sure, the moon was not visible at the present, but they fact that it was somewhere in the sky, most likely on its "shattered phase".

"Why would the Rakata do that?" Yang asked.

"Honestly, I'm not sure," Qrow said. "Chances are they were in a war against their Force-sensitive ex-slaves who pursued them to Remnant, and tried to destroy their former rebelling slaves in one shot. Maybe they were test-firing on a moving target. Maybe the Creative One realized he was screwed and tried to destroy the planet by affecting the tides out of spite—historians said we once had a lot more land mass than we do today. They're still basically extinct, so that didn't do them much good, despite the damage Remnant suffered. Also, they lost their connection to the Force ages before the Sith Empire and Galactic Republic, so their invincible empire collapsed. It didn't stop them from finding people here and beginning experiments though… I have a theory of why the Grimm even exist, but that's for another time."

"Right," Yang said. "So, you sealed it away because you couldn't destroy it because you lacked conventional means?"

"Yes," Goodwitch nodded. "This is a Force-based weapon, that much is certain. And in order to destroy it, we need someone that is called, 'the Soul of Life', or the 'Soul of Remnant'… 'A chosen soul, who while appearing dark is innocent in the Force, who wishes to help and will stay her chosen course. She hunts the darkness to protect the light, and her step is followed by a trail of life. Whether this changes her for the worse, we do not yet know, but with this battle, her power will grow. She will bring fire from beyond the skies and pluck the vicious metal weed as her fifteenth year dies'. It sounds like someone who may look like a being of Darkness because of what their origins are, but believes in the Light. The Rakata used the power of the Dark Side so long and often that their technology was considered evil and invasive, like a weed. Meanwhile, a Soul of Life on a dark world like ours? The person who it belongs to could be used to purge the evil from the soul of this machine. And the step followed by a trail of life and is turning sixteen… Miss Rose, your Semblance is usually trailed by rose petals, and is two years younger than the usual 17-year-old first year student. Furthermore, you use a weapon that is technically a hi-tech gardening tool. At least, that's my interpretation of the prophecy."

"Not to mention Ruby's birthday is in a few weeks," Yang said, looking at her Scroll's calendar. "Sweet sixteen, little sis!"

"So this may be Ruby?" Weiss asked, looking at the confused fifteen-year old reaper, who shyly put up her hood.

"Me?" Ruby asked.

"Perhaps," Ironwood nodded.

Goodwitch interrupted, "It's hard to tell if this is even your generation. All we know for certain is that it's a girl turning sixteen related to flowers from Remnant. You qualify for several of these categories, but you're technically half-Remnant, Miss Rose. While I've noticed the signs, there is no telling if you really are the one who will do this. We don't even know if this prophecy calls for a full Remnant-child or not."

"So, if the Sith want this weapon," Yang spoke up, "they'd need to kill all four of you, Mom, Dad, Professor Port, and possibly Ruby?"

"The Sith don't need to kill _**anyone**_," Qrow warned. "They would only need to corrupt Ruby and get us to unlock the weapon. There is a second prophecy, which the Jedi are far more concerned about. 'The Spirit of Roses bares a child, a daughter who fights fiercely but whose demeanor is mild. With her step, red petals scatter, and in response, either Light or Dark will shatter'. They're worried Ruby, with her speed and skill, will destroy the Light Side of the Force, while the Sith hopes she does it so the Dark can prevail. However, the Sith should be wary as the same thing could happen to the Dark Side."

"So they'd rather take her away than risk Ruby doing anything," Yang scowled. "We can't let them do that."

"I don't plan to," Qrow answered. "And Summer sure as hell doesn't plan to, either. I'm not sure what her plan is, but the second the Jedi betray her or go after either of you, all bets are off."

"I understand where she's coming from," Ironwood said. "We have no time to delay… if we're gonna save Remnant, we have to destroy the Rakata weapon once and for all. The Emperor can't be allowed to take it."

"I'm afraid that's impossible right now," Ozpin said. "None of us could do it last time we tried, and all we accomplished in the long term was the devastation of the Sith Empire, the Jedi to mark us as potential enemies, the deaths of Darth Maxdi and Darth Cadith, and Summer herself was devastated by what happened. Furthermore, we don't even know if Ruby is the soul who is destined to destroy it, as the Force may have chosen another child, and Summer only took up the 'Spirit of Roses' moniker to scare the Republic and the Empire. Third, if we really tried to destroy the weapon, we could end up taking the planet with us. Finally, how do you plan on getting back to the location of the weapon? We don't have the _Glass Eagle, _and it's a difficult area to fly into."

"We have the—"

"We also have the Jedi and Sith already on Remnant to deal with," Qrow interrupted. "We know Kombu was pretty much Summer's childhood Jedi nemesis… all the more reason to go after Ruby, even if Jedi remained unattached. Sure, Citarhi can balance him, but how long Kombu will be restrained, I don't know. Also, what Sith are left hate Summer as well, and if the Emperor Darth Crumma was smart, he'd at least send a few extra teams."

"Crumma?" Yang laughed. "I'm sorry, I know I should be taking this seriously, but I just find that the big bad Sith Emperor is named 'Crumma' too funny. That sounds like the stupidest name… what, did someone look at a random letter generator and put it together?"

"Stupid, yes," Qrow agreed. "But the amusement comes to a tragic halt when you realize Crumma is Summer's oldest and arguably most personal enemy who traumatized her for years." Yang stopped laughing for a moment, and looked up. "I've never met the guy, but Summer, when she first came to Remnant, had terrible nightmares. They got so bad during our first year that we took her to a psychologist just so she could sleep. There, we found out her childhood, especially her teen years on Korriban, and boy, I'm glad we found out her issues early, because they ran deep."

"How deep?" Blake asked.

"Summer, back when she was Natsumi Himura, was a slave," Qrow began. "As early she could remember she was pushed into House Thul on the planet of Alderaan… hence Ruby's half-Alderaanian status Glynda discussed." Blake flinched. "Yeah, Ozpin told me… Blake, right? You're a Faunus, aren't you?" Blake looked at Qrow in surprise, her bow twitching. "I'm not going to force you to take off the bow. My sister actually likes Faunus, so you'd probably get along with Raven. I've heard you've had a personal interest in stopping the White Fang's criminal activities… but you know that many Faunus have been enslaved in the past. In the Empire, many people are suffering the same fate, most of them non-humans. Summer was among the few human slaves."

Goodwitch continued, "When she was thirteen, she was forced into the Sith Academy on penalty of death for being Force-sensitive being in Imperial territory. She nearly killed someone in self-defense with a Force Push… and considering what she has seen of the Sith, she believed herself a monster before she was taught otherwise by Imperius. You always had to walk in groups in that academy. Not because they forced you to, but because you didn't know if your fellow acolytes would want you dead that day or the next day. Sure, the school had a 'no-murder-of-acolytes' policy inside the school, but they couldn't enforce it if there were no witnesses. And Summer had one of the worst ones after her."

"And this was Darth Crumma?" Ruby said.

"Not a Darth at the time," Goodwitch nodded, "but yes. Crumma, whose name roughly translates to Remnant English as 'the crimson quake-bringer', was a ruthless Sith Pureblood—the type of alien you fought yesterday. They founded the ideals of the Sith philosophy, I've been told. He was arrogant, bigoted, elitist, and believed himself to be invincible and entitled to wreaking havoc across the galaxy. Crumma nearly killed Summer on their first days at the Academy. He continued these attempts for the next three years, despite them not even being in the same group of students. Oh, speaking of his group, within his first year, he slaughtered his entire group. He then killed an entire group of slave acolytes on their first day in the second year, and put one of the girls' severed heads outside of Summer's dorm as a warning."

"That's totally irresponsible of the Sith!" Weiss argued. "I may not like my teammates at times, but to try to kill them!? How could they just sit by and let this… this monster get away with it!?"

"The Sith don't care for morality," Ozpin answered. "At least not most of them. In fact, they see mercy as a weakness. Which explain why their Empire is actually on the edge of self-collapse. Still, Crumma was technically never caught breaking the Academy's rules, so they couldn't punish him. However, he did go too far one day."

"If killing two groups of his fellow students is not too far in the Sith's book," Blake spat, "then I hate to hear what is."

"The third year, he had a few random murders to his name, yes," Qrow confessed. "But according to Summer, he and his specific Overseer planned something even more horrible. For the final trial to become fully fledged Sith, acolytes had to secure a powerful artifact from one of the four tombs in the Valley of the Ancient Sith Lords. This was where Summer found her first Remnant Key. However, Crumma got his hands on a lightsaber a bit earlier than the Academy allowed… that and a Dark Side artifact that increased his Sith Lightning, that power Rumwash had."

"It looked like Lightning Dust," Weiss said, looking at a canister of yellow Dust loaded in Myrtenaster's chamber. "I was wondering how that Rumwash guy was using lightning, since his clothes weren't weaved with Dust. So, it's a Force power." She then watched as Ruby pulled out Rumwash's lightsaber and handed it to her. Weiss turned the blade on. "And this would look like it would have a Fire Dust crystal, since plasma is quite hot." She turned it off, and popped the lightsaber open to reveal the red crystal inside. "It's just not a Dust Crystal. Ruby and I figured out how to take it apart and put it back together real quick last night after sneaking up dinner. I'd say we could between the two of us build a few of these."

"Similar to it, yes," Qrow said. "They're called 'Force crystals', and typically channel the Force through them. Dust does the same, but Dust is more brittle yet malleable than Force Crystals. The typical red Force crystal is actually artificial and doesn't form naturally, which is why you didn't sense the Dust. Still, I'm impressed, you two." The two beamed while giving each other a low five. He continued, "Anyway, Crumma was unleashed upon a bunch of promising acolytes. He killed so many students it stopped being funny for the Overseers and started making them realize he was actually hurting the Sith Empire. Summer again barely survived the massacre, taking Crumma's hands, and caused him to be badly burned in the fires of Korriban. She lost a good friend that day, though. Only she, Citarhi—you know, that Cathar lady—and a small handful of other students survived Crumma. The Overseer responsible for facilitating Crumma's rampage was found and executed, and Crumma was left for dead, being basically a roasted slab of meat who was still only breathing because his hatred for Summer was so great he refused to die until he got his revenge. Summer herself was traumatized by the incident for a long time, but she became Sith. That would be the end of Crumma's story right there if we lived in a just universe, and nearly every single member of the Dark Council at the time agreed that Crumma should die. But Maxdi, the Sith that would be Emperor, had plans for him."

"So, he took an established near-death magical sociopath who repeatedly killed his own classmates, broke the rules of the school, hindered his own people's war with the Jedi, and stalked my stepmom, and revived him for the purpose of using him as a weapon!?" Yang asked.

"You got it in one," Qrow answered. "Crumma was rebuilt as a cyborg to make up for his charred skin and missing hands. He also had nanomachines running through his bloodstream that serve to quickly heal him if he's injured. It's like Aura, but backed up with advanced technology. Between high-functioning nanomachines, his various implants he no doubt has keeping his vital organs functioning, years of experience, and his hatred fueling him, he's almost impossible to kill… and he's years beyond four first-year Beacon students, so don't even think about taking him on, kids."

"Well, what do you want us to do?" Ruby asked. Qrow and Ozpin looked at each other, and at the girl.

"Miss Rose," Goodwitch said, "We have been thinking, and we aren't sure of what we want US to do. The Republic and the Empire know who you are—despite your mother's best efforts— and Darth Crumma is apparently coming. What's worse is if we act before knowing Darth Mel's plans, we risk creating an intergalactic incident… and a PR scandal. That means you all cannot get involved in this one… especially since we gave you far more leeway than we realistically should have for dealing with Torchwick. I'm afraid that until that we have come to an agreement or we have resolved it, Team RWBY will not be able to accept any official missions tied to the Republic or the Empire." Qrow sharply turned his head, Yang gasped, and Blake and Weiss looked concerned. But Ruby had the most hurt expression on her face.

"Lockdown?" Ruby asked.

"Is giving them detention for defending themselves against a rogue Sith much better than most could really appropriate, Glynda?" Ironwood asked. Goodwitch's glare made him actually remain silent.

"After Darth Mel casually strolled into the Council's Chambers and scattered the remains of an entire Atlesian droid platoon and what she's offered?" Goodwitch asked. "The Council is clearly intimidated and we can't make them take chances with the Empire. That's not even getting into you-know-what, General. If they attack first, you can act, but if we intentionally provoke them, not only with the Council shut us down, but the Empire could come down on Remnant with extreme prejudice."

"But we're not done!" Blake scowled. "There are other threats out there besides Jedi and Sith! The Grimm, the White Fang, whoever else Torchwick was working with… you can't just keep us here! What if either galactic faction forms an alliance with the White Fang, or worse, they start a turf war in Vale where the entire city is in the crossfire!? What if they attack Beacon because they're looking for us!? A lot of innocent people could die!"

"Yeah," Ruby nodded. "We can't just sit here and let bad guys hurt others trying to get me! It just feels wrong!"

"Who said we're putting you on lockdown?" Ozpin asked. "I know that you four, at this point, would never stand for it. However, I can't risk you going up against 'official' Imperial or Republic representatives while they're appealing to the Council. I can, however, set you up against another 'unofficial' target. One that Darth Mel clearly declared a traitor and allowed us to deal with as we see fit." He placed a folder in front of them. Ruby opened it, and spotted a series of pictures of a battered Rumwash being helped out the butcher shop by a masked man with a blue and black droid. Weiss looked at the Imperial symbol on the droid's front.

'(…That marking,)' Weiss thought. '(So, that's the Sith Empire's marking. But… why does it seem familiar?)' Her eyes widened. '(No... it couldn't be! Oh, please be a figment of my imagination...)'

"Who is that?" Ruby asked, unaware of Weiss' internal plight.

"That's what I want you four to find out," Ozpin answered. "Rumwash was recently declared by Darth Mel a traitor. However, this man and his droid, instead of calling the police, killing him, or leaving him for dead, helped him escape. Since Rumwash is now a war criminal, and Huntresses, even those in-training, can act as bounty hunters… it could be considered a mission to apprehend him and the person who is assisting him."

"But you have no idea where to start looking, huh?" Yang asked. "We get another silent mission. Want to call Sun and Neptune, Blake and Weiss?"

"Not sure they'd be up for it," Blake simply said, her cheeks lightly red while Weiss stopped thinking about the Imperial symbol to think about Neptune. "Sure, Sun and I are… kind of in the middle of something, I'm personally not sure what it really is. But we forgot about them the last time we brought them along for a stealth mission… which ended up STILL being loud."

"Torchwick had a Paladin!" Yang reasoned. "We couldn't have predicted the White Fang would steal the blueprints for them." Ironwood, meanwhile, frowned at this news that the White Fang was weaponizing his latest combat walkers.

"However, the Council is paying attention to the fact that you four exist because of both your involvement with the Breach and fighting the Imperial invasion," Goodwitch warned, "and will be monitoring you very closely. They're already concerned with the amount of collateral damage your efforts to defeat these threats have caused and how reckless with your own safety you've been... and how you've been ignoring various school rules. If you do too much of anything else they don't like... they may move to have you disbanded at least, expelled at worst. That said, I'd appreciate it if you conducted yourselves in a more professional manner."

"Look, as long as you deal with Rumwash quietly," Qrow simplified, "we're good. You focus on completing the rest of your first year, explore Rumwash in your spare time, and we'll focus on dealing with the real Sith Empire and Crumma."

"But what about Beacon?" Ruby asked. "What if the Sith and the Jedi come here, and the Jedi don't listen to mom? Or the White Fang?"

"They won't launch an assault on Beacon," Ozpin answered. "The Jedi and their Republic allies know we're still alive and you're under our protection, and most Jedi never attack innocents and would not let their Republic allies do so as well. The Sith, however, will be much more difficult to predict. But if they even think about attacking you, well… they'll have to go through a lot of professional Huntsmen. We're all at least capable of taking on a Darth, so Darth Mel will have trouble with us."

"As for anything in Vale," Ironwood said, "I'm having small patrols on the lookout. If the Jedi, Sith, or the White Fang as much as sneeze in public to cause trouble, we'll be ready for them with a box of tissues and the most elite defenses Atlas can afford. We are prepared to fight this to keep you safe… I'm willing and able to protect you all and humanity here on Remnant. Trust me."

"Okay," Ruby said. "So, when do we start?"

"Whenever you're ready and able," Ozpin said. "Like I said, I cannot risk making this an official mission, so take your time. Please, girls, try to focus on your present, but figure out Rumwash and his saviors in your spare time that you're not doing your work, preparing for the Vytal Festival, or relaxing. Rumwash may not have his lightsaber anymore, but he will not be an easy opponent.."

"Thank you for this," Ruby beamed at her Headmaster. "Team RWBY won't let you down!" With that, a dramatic whoosh followed Ruby as she headed towards the stairs. Yang laughed before running after her sister. Blake smirked while Weiss let out a frustrated sigh, and the two followed their partners out.

"You know we really should have locked them down," Goodwitch said. "Better that they aren't running through the city with us losing track of the Jedi."

Qrow shrugged, "Ruby and Yang don't take being told 'no' very easily, even after I made sure Yang was grounded for running away from home, and kidnapping and endangering her sister and herself for doing something so reckless. And if they've had ANY impact on their respective partners like I think they did, then Weiss and Blake would have probably joined in. But they won't go anywhere today… no, they'll take this to reflect, and prepare themselves. After all, they know they can't just try the same tactics anymore. A true Huntress knows that her prey will never fall twice to the same style." Qrow chuckled. "God, I'm starting to think like a mix of me and their old man. He rubbed off on me."

"You're just being human, Qrow," Ironwood said. "I honestly wondered if you were human after what we saw twenty years ago… what we did. You seemed stiffer than my new arm at times."

"Twenty four years ago changed a lot of things for all of us," Ozpin said, looking down.

"You still love her, don't you?" Qrow asked. "Summer, I mean. I saw the way you observed Ruby's eyes… just like Summer's, but with more innocence, more will, than Summer had when she was Ruby's age, as she's arguably had a better childhood than Summer did. That's why you've taken her in as a student despite her being younger than her entire class, isn't it?"

"…That plays a part, Qrow," Ozpin answered. "I used to love Summer. However, she's made her choice and I need to respect it. There is no use blaming Taiyang for my own cowardice and not telling Summer how I felt about her. The least I can do is watch over her daughter. You trained Ruby how to fight, build weapons, and kill Grimm, but I have to teach Ruby how to be human, how to not doubt herself…how to avoid becoming something she isn't. Showing her some compassion and being patient with her will hopefully avert the darkness within her."

"You've been a good teacher," Qrow said. "Regardless of what happens next, Ozpin, I'd say Summer left her legacy in capable hands. I'd be honored to die by your side." All of the sudden, they heard a loud, girly scream coming from the first-year dorms. "What the hell!?"

"I'm sure it's totally fine," Ironwood shrugged. "I mean, the school isn't on fire and nobody's shooting."

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: Okay, well this could have gone up sooner... probably should have gone up sooner.

For starters, had I kept this chapter to its original form, it just would have been the talk between the adults and Team RWBY... and something with Team JNPR. However, I wanted to remind everyone that Crumma exists. And he's coming. However, I wanted Team RWBY to have a bit of a sisterly bonding moment... as the four may bicker (don't lie, they all started the series on flimsy terms sans Ruby and Yang, and it took Blake and Weiss a full semester in-universe, all of Volume 1 and part of 2 to get along), but they will support each other in times of need. I think that's why they end up working together so well, despite their obvious faults.

As for the talk... ooh boy, this was a bit controversial. But most things in the _Star __Wars_ Legends continuity, specifically the Old Republic Era, dates that the origin of all of the bad stuff began with the Rakata, who barely ever are presented as positive and the original Dark Siders. So, yeah, a Rakata, in this story, is the Bigger Bad of _RWBY._ Don't worry, Crumma is still the main villain here, but the Creative One was a huge threat once upon a time.

Another one is Ironwood's character. Was he a well-intended extremist betraying Ozpin, or is he up to something? I'm of the former camp (and regardless of what happens in Volume 3 will not change that unless it is completely honest), because Ozpin's lack of communication with his supposed allies is suspicious, and Ironwood is a soldier before a Headmaster and he has orders. He does it with a noticeably heavy heart, too. However, Goodwitch still holds a grudge.

Finally, I'm afraid we have some non-action chapters ahead. I'm sure we'll be fine, though. The Vytal Festival is coming!

But not before reviews are answered. Let's be quick.

**RedemptionWarrior: **Darth Mel has to be good at political movements. Not only is she the head of the diplomatic branch of the Empire, but she is a God damn Sith, a group who practices chronic backstabbing as both a pastime and an advancement strategy. Mel did not get to her position by being an idiot. In fact, I'm starting to compare her to Olivia Pope with Force powers when she's calm and doesn't have to deal with Sith being idiots.

As for Ozpin, it wouldn't be Ozpin if he didn't keep his cool and pay very close attention. It's his character to be somewhat in control of the conversation while advising his protégé (Ruby) about things. He cares for people, but he wears a very stoic expression that makes his friends and enemies wonder what he's thinking.

The towing scene... that was too funny to resist putting in. Imagining a powerful Sith Lord getting their vehicle towed. The scene is so out of place that you can't help but chuckle at how absurd it is. That tow-truck driver even gets away with it, too. It also points out a major problem a lot of the non-Remnant people will have while on Remnant: Aurebesh isn't common writing in the RWBY universe, so there's an entire written language barrier.

Anyway, yeah, Cinder's aware of the Republic and Empire's existence. More as to why later, but their involvement means whatever plans she had for Volume 3 have to be on hold... hence why this story starts losing any chance of being canon to either universe. Since I have no idea of what Cinder's ultimate goal here, is, other than seems crippling Ozpin's power and causing the people of Vale to lose hope, I had to give her a reason to put whatever it is on hold. Two potential invasions should be enough. As for Adam, well... his age is ambiguous, so I made him older than Mercury and Emerald, but younger than Cinder and Torchwick. However, he knows about the Empire and Republic, and begrudgingly puts revenge on Team RWBY on hold.

**dan45000:** Okay, challenge accepted. Vader will make a small cameo somewhere... I won't tell where.

**orionfanboy1994:** Dagobah? Not really sure... the earliest known interaction of Dagobah, both Legends and canon, is 700 BBY... and this story takes place approximately 2519 BBY. I'm not considering it. Maybe a different jungle world.

**A.K.b00m:** Torchwick working with Herbert and Fleece was something I started taking a liking to early on. Trust me, when Torchwick finally breaks out, it'll be awesome. And probably half of Beacon will be leveled.

Alright, time for Volume 3! Farewell, my subjects!


	9. Chapter 9: Blooming, Wilting Rose

A/N: Ladies and gentlemen, I am sorry for the delay. However, considering the fact that _The Force Awakens_ is Friday, but _RWBY _just had its winter finale, I'd feel it best to do this right now. While I do plan on implementing a lot of what we've seen from Volume 3 so far (mainly the new characters, some of the plot reveals, new weapons like the Stormtrooper's shock-staff thing, and Qrow's semi-drunken master personality,) I would like to avoid spoilers of both RWBY and _Star Wars_ in the reviews (PMs are okay, just not in the reviews that everyone can read and not everyone has seen one or either), and I'd also like to remind everyone that this story is basically taking the place of _Grimm Eclipse_ and Volume 3.

That said, however, I do want to take a moment and acknowledge that I've rewritten a few things in the previous chapters.

One, Qrow's characterization I did was quite a great deal off. I had his snarky personality/honor as a warrior right, but he lacks the temper I'd thought he'd have, I didn't know he was a frequent whiskey shooter, and he has apparently been in the field a lot longer than I thought. I guess he was apparently going to go on his mission soon, but Coparo's "attack" on his home made him scratch his plans. Qrow's weapon has changed to its sword-shotgun form, and switches to a scythe only when he gets serious, excited, or angry. I'm also tempted to switch Raven and Qrow's foolish/responsible sibling status so Qrow was the trouble-maker while Raven was serious, but I'll have them zigzag with Qrow being the semi-reckless skirt-chasing drunk who butts heads with just about everyone (because honestly, he's becoming the friend nobody likes in Ozpin's group, but they tolerate him and his faults because he's useful) from time-to-time switching to serious when he needs to be (similar to his personality in the show), while Raven is a master samurai, but can't help but tease people from time-to-time and has some moments of brilliant but lazy. Hopefully, that balances his character right.

I also originally had him as the leader of Team QRTS, but it seems that I had the team entirely backwards and Summer was the leader of Team STRQ. While it does not in my mind change the partner dynamic, it does make any plans for prequels where Qrow is leading the charge... a bit awkward.

Speaking of Summer, I changed her appearance a bit to look like she does in the picture in the Volume 3 opening... an older appearance of Ruby with a white cloak and Aurebesh branded to the right side of her face covered by make-up and her hair. She still has the personality I gave her (a woman who used to be a timid slave discover she has powers, is taken in for dangerous training, harassed by a sociopath, and had to grow out of her shyness in order to protect the people she cares about), but I'm giving her... one extra quirk, and expanding a few things based on a theory I have now (thanks, Rooster Teeth). I also need to go back and change a name, now... to avoid confusion, of course.

Any other changes I may have made, you can go find them in previous chapters. I need to get this one started. We now turn back time to a few minutes right before the loud scream...

* * *

**Team JNPR Dorm―11:12**

While Team RWBY was meeting with the four adults, Jaune looked up at the ceiling, lying on his bed. Being a weekend and he actually got his homework done early for once, he thought he would be sleeping in. But despite his best efforts, he couldn't help but think about last night, even getting fully dressed to contemplate, despite being sore (Aura, Jaune's in particular, was great for healing external wounds, but didn't stop the ringing in his head or Pyrrha's sore throat)… though partially because he didn't want to be seen in his footie pajamas and teased during a very early breakfast while he thought about yesterday.

Ruby had called him about something downtown. He then got a ride into town with Prof. Port in a surprisingly advanced Bullhead, who looked far more excited than he did normally, saying the four members of Team JNPR were in for a treat. When he got there—after recovering from the airship ride upsetting his motion sickness that was getting better—he wasn't expecting a fighter like Rumwash. Rumwash reminded him of Cardin, in a sense… but several times more ruthless, and had lightning powers, and had easily cut robes instead of armor and no Aura to serve as a defense. That's why Jaune's blade could cut him.

But then what happened afterwards got to Jaune. Rumwash couldn't use his powers for a while… why was that? Crocea Mors had cut things before—mainly Ursa Majors in Jaune's possession—but why did it weaken Rumwash? He didn't have much of a moment to reflect on this between Pyrrha and Ruby's concern for him and when older Huntsmen came in and curbstomping Rumwash's remaining droids… especially Summer Rose, Ruby's mom.

Summer. Jaune knew one day he'd meet someone who his friends were related to, but he didn't expect the one who—according to Pyrrha, Yang, and Ruby herself—was supposed to be dead. Yet, Summer showed up, and introduced Rumwash's last droids to the scrap yard without batting an eyelash with Ruby's equally heroic uncle Qrow. She was amazingly powerful, but the reveal that she was a Sith like Rumwash and Darth Mel—who looked just as human as Summer and Ruby—was terrifying.

And then there were the Jedi. From what information Qrow was willing to part ways with, the Jedi were like space knights several times his better, all the while being monks following some religion called 'the Force'. Whatever it was, it was powerful, Jaune could tell, if it allowed them to have gravity powers like Summer's and shoot lightning.

But why did the Jedi and Sith want Ruby? What did she do? What did Summer do?

"Jaune?" The blonde boy looked up to see his redheaded partner stepping out of the girls' bathroom, having just changed from her own pajamas to her regular clothes. Her voice was still hoarse from the Force choking, and she had to rub her neck to soothe the pain. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, Pyrrha," Jaune sighed. "Sorry, just thinking…"

"About last night?" Pyrrha asked. Jaune saw the strong, beautiful girl approaching him, and he moved to make room for her to sit down. The champion sighed, "I shouldn't have brought it up, should I?"

"I was thinking about last night," Jaune answered his partner and mentor. "It's just… until now, I thought we were alone in the universe. The universe just opened to be a bigger place."

"And a more dangerous one," Ren spoke up. Jaune and Pyrrha looked to see the black haired gunslinger martial artist walking into the room from his own early breakfast, Nora following behind, licking syrup off her face. He handed the champion a cup of freshly brewed tea, which she graciously took. "Everyone at Beacon is talking about the incident last night. Calling us 'the Sith Busters'."

"Really?" Pyrrha laughed. "Oh my God, that's a ridiculous name!" She then started coughing. "Sorry, my throat is still sore."

"Drink," Ren advised. "It'll make you feel better." Growing serious while Pyrrha drank her tea, he said, "Besides, we only stopped one Sith, who just was declared a rogue agent, so we accomplished virtually nothing."

"Aw," Nora pouted, "but we saved Vale!"

"Unfortunately," Jaune corrected, "we didn't really do much. Team RWBY did the initial work in the fight. You guys took out those droids like I asked you guys to… and I'm lucky to have gotten an attack on Rumwash." He groaned, "I screwed up again."

"You won, though," Pyrrha assured Jaune. She liked the boy, goofy faults and all, but she wished he could actually see his self-worth… and actually understand her feelings for him. Some progress had been made since the dance, but not much.

"Yeah, but you got hurt," Jaune replied. "If you didn't have to save me, you would've been fine. I nearly got you killed, and I only won because I was lucky enough to catch him off guard."

Apparently, by Pyrrha's blush, more progress was made last night. Although she wished he didn't feel guilty about how Rumwash Force Choked her, he wanted to protect her.

"But was it really luck, boy?" a male voice questioned. All four members of Team JNPR looked around. Suddenly, a light blue figure manifested itself next to Jaune. He looked human for certain. However, there was a blindfold surrounding his eyes. His hair was shoulder length and slicked back. "Or was it the Force guiding you?" Everyone jumped, but Jaune let out a particularly shrill scream. "Really? This is how you react to a Force ghost?"

"Whoa, what the!?" Jaune asked. "Figures I'D get the room that's haunted!"

"Oh, you've never actually seen one before," the ghost realized. "Interesting... my first time on Remnant, and I've learned more about it than I hoped to imagine dead than alive."

"Whoa," another male voice spoke up. The group and the ghost himself looked to see Team CRDL looking inside, since Ren and Nora forgot to close the door. "Your dorm is haunted, Arc?" Cardin asked. "And you scream like a little girl? Heh! Can't wait to tell everyone about this!"

The ghost casually walked through Ren and Nora, and waved his hand. "You don't recall seeing a ghost."

"I don't recall seeing a ghost," Cardin droned.

"You want to go back to your room and rethink your life choices."

"Hey guys," Sky asked, "wanna go back to the room and rethink our life choices?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," Russel agreed. "Dove?"

"Sure, why not?" Dove shrugged as they all walked away. The ghost, not wanting any further interruptions, used the Force to close the door.

"That should allow us a little more privacy," the ghost said, turning around to the surprised Team JNPR.

"Okay, are you some type of blind ghost monk?" Nora asked.

"Ghost Jedi, yes," the ghost replied. "Blind? Well, that depends on your perspective. In human terms, I don't have actual eyes. But Miralukas see with the Force, and our other senses are heightened to compensate the lack of eyes."

"Wow," Pyrrha said. "So... who were you?"

"In life, I was known as Dohet," the Jedi said.

"Wait," Jaune asked. "Dohet? As in, that Naywi girl's Master?"

"I'm glad Naywi is alright," the Miraluka said. "I wish the same could be said about your planet."

"What about Remnant?" Pyrrha asked. "And if you're Naywi's Master Dohet, how are you here?"

"After my physical death," the ghost explained, "I thought I would become one with the Force. However, something unexpected happened. It turns out the spirit lingers when the body dies, and the body of a Jedi still has a connection to the Force... and Crumma did not destroy my body upon my death, and has found a ritual that has banished my spirit from becoming one with the Force."

"So, let me get this straight for Nora and Jaune," Ren said. "No offense to either of you."

"None taken, because this is above anything in Dr. Oobleck's class," Jaune replied.

"I have no idea what's going on, either," Nora added.

Ren explained, "Basically, this oddly named Crumma guy, who I'm guessing is the Sith Emperor that Darth Mel talked about on the news last night, figured how to bar you from the afterlife, and you decided to come to Remnant in ghost form, and you chose _**us**_ to talk to."

"Yes," Dohet replied. "Some Jedi who have passed on choose to advise their students this way. I would have preferred to discuss what I have learned with Naywi and Natsumi, but after your battle with Rumwash, I reasoned the Force guided me to you, Jaune Arc."

"What?" Jaune asked. "How did you know my name!?"

"I'm dead, not deaf," the Miraluka replied. "Also, I sense the Force is strong with you, young man... stronger than that of even the Spirit of Roses' daughter. Her destiny has been written, but yours? That is an uncertainty, but you all have formed quite the bonds with Natsumi's child."

"Natsumi?" Jaune asked.

"I'm guessing that's the name Summer Rose used in her past life," Pyrrha shrugged.

"Indeed it was," Dohet answered Pyrrha. He continued, "However, in my weakened state, I cannot really guide you... only warn you of what is to come."

"Warn us?" Pyrrha asked, leaning forward. "What's coming?"

"Besides Crumma, who can suck energy from the dead and control the Dark?" the Miraluka offered. "An vast assortment of threats. An infiltrator who has set in motion the fall of the mighty and has a mission to accomplish... an extremist commander who sees this world as a threat and wants to end it by any means necessary to protect the galaxy... a notorious pirate seeking to lick his wounded pride through violence... a crime lord who desires to retake the galaxy for his kind... and a mercenary who wishes to reclaim ancestral honor when there wasn't any to regain to begin with."

"Whoa," Nora grinned. "Sounds like we're about to do a lot of enemy crushing."

"I wouldn't say it like that," Dohet replied, "but yes. Alone, any of these threats can hinder your world's safety, even as trivial as the criminals. But all at once? Your world's survival barely stands a chance."

"I see," Pyrrha said. "The White Fang attacking Vale with Grimm was worrying enough on its own. An alien invasion right after was terrifying. But all this? Can we really face it?"

"Does anybody else miss it when we had to just fight bloodthirsty Grimm and the occasional bullies?" Ren questioned. "I feel like the Grimm are being underappreciated."

"I assure you, these threats are quite real and dangerous," Dohet replied. "And I understand your world has its own problems. But I wished for you to know."

"Um thanks for that, I suppose," Jaune said. "So, what now?"

"Now you need to be wary," Dohet said. "Feel free to warn the Huntsmen from 20 years ago. However, it may not be enough to prepare them. But two more things, young Jaune..."

"What?" Jaune asked.

"One, you need to protect your red friends," Dohet warned, looking towards Pyrrha and then towards the doorway... straight across to Team RWBY's room. "I sense their fates and the fate of your world will be unpleasant should those two maidens fall into the wrong hands, and that is talking about more than just Darth Crumma."

"Huh?" Pyrrha asked. "What do you mean, by that?"

"It is not my place to say, as I do not even know what they mean... but the Force has given me a few visions," the Miraluka replied. "And they led me to you, child. Things will become hard for both you and most likely Natsumi's child rather quickly... and you will need all the help you can get." Pyrrha's mouth widened in confusion. Jaune stepped forward, placing his hand on Pyrrha's shoulder to comfort her.

"Well that was going to be a given!" the knight replied. "I promise I'll protect Pyrrha and Ruby! And an Arc never goes back on his word!" Pyrrha slightly blushed at Jaune's declaration. "So... what's the second thing?"

"Should you meet a woman named Yale Shan, apologize to her for me." He began to fade. "May the Force be with you... always." With that, he faded.

"...Is he gone?" Nora asked. "Because that was pretty cool, all things considered." Ren sighed.

* * *

**Team RWBY Dorm―12:02**

"So, let me get this straight," Blake said after they returned from Ozpin's office and traded stories with Team JNPR, who found them coming in. "A ghost of a Jedi visited you guys, and told you we're about to be invaded by even MORE threats than just the ones we've encountered? And he said something's going to happen to Ruby and Pyrrha?"

"Yeah, it's weird," Jaune confessed. "And now, I'm worried about what's going to happen."

"Worried about what?" a male voice called, starling everyone in the room except for the female Faunus. Blake then sighed before opening the window, revealing it to be her monkey Faunus friend, Sun Wukong. "Hey, Blake."

The cat Faunus scowled in annoyance. "Sun, my door works just fine." She then looked to the side, and spotted Neptune Vasilias pressing very close to the wall. "Neptune."

"Hey," the blue-haired boy grinned. "Can we come in? Still don't like heights."

After letting the two in, the group took turns recalling both of their stories. Ruby, meanwhile, petted Zwei, while Pyrrha looked over Team RWBY's newest mission file on Ruby's Scroll. Jaune, however, sat in between the two redheads. Once the story was finished, Neptune sat in thought while Sun scratched his head.

"So, the universe really has more sentient species than humans and Faunus?" Sun concluded. "That's awesome. Maybe we'll finally get some respect, huh, Blake? You won't have to hide behind a bow, anymore!"

"I keep forgetting you guys know Blake's a Faunus," Jaune said. "I mean, I kind of forget, too. She's just Blake to me."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Blake smiled at Jaune. She then turned to Sun, and said, "Just because Faunus aren't the only non-humans anymore, Sun, doesn't mean we won't be still discriminated against. And judging by what Ruby and Yang's uncle said about the Empire, if they take control of Remnant, no Faunus will probably be safe. And it's bad enough already."

"Not that we have any proof the Republic's better," Neptune said. "Sure, their guys helped save Vale according to the news, but that could've been just to make themselves look good."

"Just like how you play the cool card when you're just a dork," Yang laughed. Weiss giggled with a roll of her eyes while Neptune rubbed his head.

"Intellectual," he muttered.

"Anyway," Weiss said after getting over her blush, "we now have a bit of a problem. Rumwash may not have Torchwick's cunning, but he's more powerful considering the amount of punishment he takes and his Force abilities." She looked at the Imperial logo, and scowled. This wasn't unnoticed by Pyrrha.

"You've seen that symbol before, Weiss?" the redheaded Amazon asked. Everyone looked at Weiss.

"I might have," the heiress answered. "Give me some time, and I'll see if there have been traces of this symbol prior to Rumwash's attack yesterday."

"Fair enough," Yang agreed. "I'll go talk to my own contact, see if he knows anything. You wanna ride downtown on _Bumblebee_, tomorrow, Weiss?"

"I haven't gotten a ride on _Bumblebee_ in forever," Ruby pouted.

"I took you for one just the other day!"

"Oh, right," Ruby blushed. All of the sudden, a beeping rang out. Ruby looked around, and spotted her holo-communicator with a glowing green button. Ruby pressed it... revealing a tiny cloaked creature, even by hologram standards, with a pair of big glowing eyes.

"_[Hi, red flower lady's daughter!]"_ the creature squeaked. "_[You look pretty! Have neat-looking friends, too! Heard about blaster that doubles as vibro-scythe from Jedi friend Naywi! Can you show Mint?]" _Everyone in the room looked at the creature in confusion, but Ruby and Nora had faces of pure joy on their face. "_[What wrong? Is Mint's robe stained with droid oil again? Mint swore Mint just cleaned it after daily tune-up of droid!]"_

"Um… what did this little thing say?" Weiss asked.

"So it's _**not**_ just me who's completely lost," Jaune said.

"I'm guessing it's an alien language like the Creative One's default," Blake mused. "Nothing I've heard of before."

"Who cares what it said!" Nora interjected. "It's adorable!"

"_[Oh, right! Nobody on Remnant know Jawa Trade Language!]"_ the creature, Mint, realized. "_[Sorry, sorry… Mint did not think this through. Red flower lady! Finally contacted your daughter! She looks just like picture on datapad!]"_

"_Oh, Mint, you already set up the holo-terminal?" _Summer's voice asked. "_Let me see, let me see."_ As if on cue, Summer appeared next to the little creature. She gasped. "_Ruby! Yang!"_

"Hi, Mom!" Ruby and Yang beamed.

"_Glad to see you," _Summer breathed. "_I guess we can have that talk, Little Wolf and Young Dragoness." _Ruby and Yang both blushed at their mother's pet names. Zwei began barking, and Summer looked to see the dog. "_Don't worry, little Zwei… I haven't forgotten about you."_

"Whoa," Neptune said. "Your Mom's cute, Ruby."

"_Thanks, young man, but I'm a little old for you," _Summer blushed. "_Besides, I'm kind of married."_

Yang turned to Summer and Mint. "So, Mom… what is that little thing next to you?"

"_[Mint not thing!]"_ the little Jawa protested. "_[Mint Jawa!]"_

"_Sorry, she doesn't like being called a 'thing' or a 'rat',"_ Summer explained. "_Anyway, this is Mint… not her real name, but she likes it. She's a Jawa, a race of tech salvagers, mechanics, and merchants. They're native to a desert world called Tatooine, but Raven and I saved her on a world called Taris when we were doing a little bounty hunting of a pirate gang she was kidnapped by to keep our funds up. She's been working with us since. A good thing, too, because honestly even though I'm a good pilot, I can always use some help with R0 and the _Glass Eagle's _repairs and upgrades."_

"_[Red flower lady really tired of fixing ship by herself!]" _Mint quipped. "_[How ship managed between flights from planet to planet before Mint join crew, Mint doesn't know. Now ship hyperdrive upgraded with Arkanian tech! It fly real well!]"_

"_Mint, that's a bit rude,"_ Summer chastised.

"How do you understand what she was saying?" Pyrrha asked.

"_I studied many languages during my time as… well, a slave on Alderaan,"_ Summer shyly answered. She took a deep breath before switching to what could only be described as as a Northern Dublin dialect. _"Oi__ even learned 'oy ter switch from speakin' loike dis ter a Outer Rim accent. 'Tis useful, but Oi loike me Outer Rim dialect better."_

"…What," Blake asked for everyone but Ruby and Yang, who had massive grins in response to Summer's little accent.

"Yay, the accent!" Ruby cheered.

"That was normal?" Weiss questioned her partner.

"Oh, no," Yang giggled. "She only did that rarely! But we love it when she does. Guess we know where she got it from."

"_Yeah, I grew up with that," _Summer confessed with a blush, returning to her regular dialect. "_I still do it when I'm running on high emotions or I'm really tired. Or to make people laugh. Anyway, Jawa Trade was not something I was expected to learn, since Alderaan is a Core World and Tatooine is on the far reaches of the Outer Rim, I was curious for any and all knowledge I could get. Anyway, I guess Mint was curious and excited to get my holo-terminal fired up."_

"_[Mint bored of sitting around while monster death cries echoed,]"_ the Jawa confessed.

"_So, while we were killing Grimm to secure our base, you and R0-S3 were upgrading?"_ Summer asked. "_Good job__."_

"What's Alderaan?" Ruby interrupted. "Uncle Qrow, Ozpin, or anyone else didn't really talk about that." Summer frowned, and held her right arm.

"_[Mint just have good idea,]"_ the little Jawa spoke up. "_[Mint go calibrate ship guns. Chances are, if we go bash scary red Sith droid man, we need them.]"_ With that, Mint walked away.

"I take it that you don't really want to talk about your past," Ren said.

"…_Many in the galaxy consider Alderaan the second most important Core World next to Coruscant, and a paradise of art, culture, and beauty,"_ Summer said. "_The Core Worlds are the planets that are credited with the honor of founding the Galactic Republic, and as far anyone is concerned, the most important planets in the universe. Coruscant's the heart of the Republic, while Alderaan is the soul. However, Alderaan was my nightmare growing up."_

"Everyone said something about you being a slave," Blake said, her bow notably twitching while she held her arm. Sun, meanwhile, looked at the female Faunus in concern. He knew Blake had a rougher childhood than he did in Vacuo, but if she was implying what he thought she was... he didn't want to finish that thought.

"_Yes,"_ Summer said. "_To House Thul… Alderaan's main Imperial-allied house. You have no doubt heard that I was raised in the Sith Empire and I'm an ex-Sith. I was given to House Thul as an infant, tasked with doing menial, torturous work when I could walk and talk. At other noble homes like House Organa in the Republic, they at least treated their servants with some degree of dignity… but House Thul, adopting an Imperial mindset of elitism, wasn't known for that._

"_My daily life, as early as I can remember, was a living hell. Cleaning up after the nobles of House Thul, helping cook for hundreds of people with unique tastes, being forced to embarrass myself for their guests' amusement, and the occasional beating for petty things like having a foot out of line or a single stain not cleaned up by the time someone important entered a room was bad enough. There was also the disputes between the Republic and Empire on the planet, despite it being a primarily Republic world. _

"_House Ulgo—a noble family whose soldiers are known for serving in the Republic military which that Havoc Squad sergeant was from—and their Republic and Jedi allies occasionally attacked Thul territories... sometimes, the places I was serving in. This was in spite of House Organa's requests to stop spilling blood. I was only 7 when I witnessed my first Jedi attack. For peacekeepers, those Jedi were dangerous, and I saw them cut down almost everyone armed in that building, especially the Sith. The Ulgo soldiers, however, went further… starting to kill the servants and unarmed guests, despite the protests of the Jedi. I got out alive only because I was small enough to crawl through one of the known servant exits._

"_With my previous owner dead and the holding lost, I was left to wander Alderaan's snowy mountains for two days. I barely escaped eight Killiks patrols on foot with no shoes before a Thul patrol found me in Organa territory, right before I could wave for sanctuary. By then, the Thuls heard that I was one of the only survivors of that massacre. I was blamed for the attack, and starved for three more days before someone let me have something to eat. That was topped by several sessions of torture. I was sold to another Thul right after this punishment… and he branded me."_ Summer moved her hair to the side to show Teams RWBY and JNPR (as well as their Team SSSN guests) the symbols. "_It's Aurebesh for 'slave', in case you're wondering. It's surprisingly easy to translate to Remnant English once you had some practice. And the worst part is that I wouldn't know about why that every time a Republic-affiliated attack happened on places I was stationed, I was blamed and beaten for it for years. I had hated my life by twelve."_

"Oh my God," Weiss breathed. She had heard of terrible things done to children, running her hand over her scar as a reminder, but branding? That was too much for her. "And I thought I had a rough childhood. How could someone justify doing that to a child!?"

"It doesn't matter HOW," Nora scowled, "it only matters that we get payback!"

"_You're too late for that and it would be too dangerous,"_ Summer said. "_For starters, my friends and I made a deal with the Jedi that I would not return to the Core Worlds unless an emergency occurred, and in exchange they would not come after my planet or disclose anything about it to the Republic. That includes Alderaan. As for revenge, the man who branded me is long dead._

"_When I was thirteen, I was doing my usual cleaning of the kitchen after dinner. It was supposed to be the last thing I did that day before I snuck into the library until curfew to comfort myself… then my master's son, at least three years older than me, came in. Nobody else was around or willing to help me if he was about to try anything. He circled me… began making lewd comments. Noticed that I was beginning to grow into a young woman. Before I could anything to defend myself—call out, grab a kitchen knife, run, anything—he grabbed me by the neck, pinned me to the wall. He warned me that he could easily have me killed if I so much as screamed."_

"Oh no he didn't," Pyrrha, Blake, Nora, Weiss, and Yang all growled, hands twitching for their weapons. Ruby herself felt the world turn darker at what Summer implied. Jaune, Ren, Sun, and Neptune quietly stepped back.

"_Don't worry, he didn't get farther than that,"_ Summer smiled. "_Because something swelled up in me. Whether it was fear of what would happen if I didn't fight back or I had reached my breaking point, I pushed my hands out to push him off… but when I opened my eyes, he had smashed through the kitchen wall with a broken neck and the lower half of his body paralyzed for life. His father already had a short temper, but imagine seeing your son and sole heir nearly killed and paralyzed, even if it was in accidental self-defense, by a slave girl. I spent the next three days running for my life before a visiting Sith Lord found me hiding in the ruins of a destroyed Thul outpost. The next thing I knew, I was shipped off to Korriban. When I returned three years later, I had completely forgotten about his anger until he tried to have me killed and would not back down, especially when I discovered that I was of noble blood. He did not survive his pursuit, and I'm an enemy of House Thul. Then again, the rest of the universe, Alderaan especially, fears me."_

"That's terrible," Ruby breathed. "I'm so sorry, Mom… I didn't know I shouldn't have asked."

"_You would have found out, eventually," _Summer said.

"Speaking of things we should have known," Yang asked, "what have you and my other mom been doing that justifies you not coming back for ten years?"

Summer looked down. She paused for a minute before starting, "_Forgive me and Raven, dears. I know nothing I do or say will justify every birthday we missed, every holiday, even missing you becoming students at Beacon. A lot of me still regrets not stopping Raven from leaving and stepping in her place even with her blessing, falling in love with Taiyang all over again… yes, I did fall in love with him years before he was with Raven, but after the Great Hunt twenty years ago, I didn't think I deserved that happiness. I only stepped in when Raven left in order to care for you, Yang, and then I fell back in love… and soon, a marriage and Ruby happened."_

"You helped raised me," Yang interrupted. "And for that, I thank you, Mom. But… if you died and came back from the dead, why did you leave? You knew Ruby was only five and needed a mom!"

"Um… I can explain that," a female voice spoke up. The group looked to see that Velvet was shyly standing at the door, Coco next to her. "We should probably find a bigger spot. This room's a bit crowded."

"I finally get an excuse to show someone this place," Coco beamed.

* * *

**Student Lounge—11:56**

Coco threw open the doors to the large room. "Welcome, first-years, to the longue!" Coco introduced. The room, approximately the size of four team dorm rooms, had several tables, couches, bean-bag chairs, a pool table, arcade machines, a soda machine, a refrigerator, and several computers. "This was added in years ago by Prof. Ozpin for students to relax on weekends. However, most first-year and second-year students don't even know it exists because they're too scared to talk to us upperclassmen and fear going into the basement of a Huntsman Academy. Heck, even some of the older students don't come down here. All that really do are the janitors and Team CFVY."

"Neat," Nora grinned while Sun went over to one of the _X-ray and Vav _arcade machines to find that it actually worked. "With a little spit shine, Ren, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"We found a secret headquarters?" Ren answered.

"Booyah!" Nora squealed. Ruby giggled in agreement before pulling out her holocom and placing it on a desk.

Ruby asked, "So, Velvet… you met Mom ten years ago?"

"Yes," Velvet confessed. "I lived in Titan's Claw as a little girl… it's where I met her."

"Mom," Yang asked, "Isn't Titan's Claw where your last mission took you?"

"_Yes,"_ Summer nodded. "_My life nearly ended that day… and you girls plus others felt the Force Wound."_

"Force Wound?" Yang asked.

"_They're moments when so many life-forms die at once, it actually injures the living Force,"_ Summer nodded. "_When you feel someone die when you've created a powerful bond with them, like a hole suddenly opening in your heart… like Ruby felt when my heart temporarily stopped. However, on Remnant, the Force is so much more powerful, that every living creature with a soul is at least Force sensitive in some way. However, because of how much power the Force has on Remnant, when expansion projects fail because of Grimm attacks, Force wounds can come far more easily… creating a physical ripple in the sky, a literal wound."_

"I've read up on something like that," Weiss interjected. "They were called 'Ripples'. They're rare, but if not closed, they could bring Grimm so powerful that they could challenge a kingdom. Containment missions involve closing those."

"_Now you know why I had to go, Ruby,"_ Summer said. "_My specialty was sealing Force Ripples, usually with my power of the Force. Huntsmen are assigned to use their Aura—their Force, if you will—to seal this Force Ripple. I'm an expert at this, and my lightsaber training is more than capable of cutting through Grimm quickly. I was perfect for the mission… and I thought Taiyang and Qrow wouldn't be needed. Had I insisted they come, you girls might have had a normal childhood, or you two might have been orphans like myself, but somebody had to watch you two."_

"So one of these Force wounds opened up and you were asked to seal it off?" Ruby nodded. "Whoa… that's cool!"

"_However, this mission was actually a trap," _Summer replied. Ruby's eyes' widened.

Velvet spoke, "You heard about the Fall of Titan's Claw, Ruby? People were massacred by… something. Not a Grimm… but until yesterday, I didn't even know WHAT it was." Coco put a hand on Velvet's shoulder, comforting the rabbit Faunus. "I… saw something, or rather, 'someone'. Part machine, part devil, all pure evil… he killed my parents, who gave their lives to protect me. He… wielded a red laser-sword just like Rumwash's. The only reason I'm still alive was because he was suddenly distracted by a woman in a white cloak."

"Mom," Ruby concluded, looking at Summer.

"I owe her my life," Velvet confirmed.

"_Who knew I'd run into an apprentice by sheer accident when facing Darth Crumma?"_ Summer asked. Everyone looked at Velvet in surprise.

"Look at you, Velvet," Coco smiled, rubbing Velvet's hair between her bunny ears, making her blush. "Only nine years old, and you found a mentor."

"So, Darth Crumma was here?" Jaune asked. "He knew about our planet? Why didn't he conquer it or kidnap Ruby then?"

"_Our planet, yes," _Summer answered. "_But Ruby? I don't think he knew Taiyang and I had a daughter until recently… the only reason he'd pick up interest in a world on the opposite side of the Rishi Maze so vehemently was if something about it interested him. Having the opportunity to convert or enslave his old enemy's child into a destroyer was too good of a lure for him… someone must have tipped him off. But not at the Fall of Titan's Claw. I fought Darth Crumma and his fellow Imperials, and I was winning… but I was not expecting what had happened next. Crumma had somehow discovered a power of the Dark Side I didn't expect. He could dominate the minds of Grimm."_ Ruby's eyes widened. She remembered that ability when Crumma attacked her in her dreams.

"Dominate Grimm?" Pyrrha asked. "Is that possible? They don't exactly have souls."

"_That part is true, I don't sense them having souls,"_ Summer recalled. "_However, they are creatures of pure darkness that can still _**think**… _the Dark Side where most Sith are masters. Being a Light Sith, I could not control the monsters because they sensed too much light within me that they wanted gone. Crumma, however, is so twisted, they considered him an Alpha, someone they could follow on instinct. Crumma summoned one of the most powerful Grimm he could get his hands on—A Black Dragon. One of these two threats alone would require much power to fight. Together? I was overwhelmed. I ultimately sealed the wound, temporarily breaking Crumma's control of the Black Dragon, at the cost of my remaining Force energy, and what should have been my life. And I'm not as strong as I was before."_

"I was scared the whole time watching the battle," Velvet recalled. "However, while that dragon was distracted, I ran over to the body of the woman, and dragged her away. I thought, like my parents, she deserved a proper burial… but she suddenly came back to life."

"_Oh, that,"_ Summer blushed. "_I forgot to mention that my master, Imperius, once researched a ritual known as 'the Force Walk'. She, as a Force ghost, taught me how to use the ritual to bind her spirit to my soul and add her power to mine so I could, with plenty of help, defeat a Dark Councilor named Zanzis who came to destroy me. We had reasons to hide that story. Another unexpected side effect was because I'm alive and Darth Imperius wasn't, she can bring me back from the dead by using her Force energy to heal me. For me to actually die as long as my body's intact, I would need to either free Imperius or her soul be purged."_

"Whoa," Coco said. "That's pretty neat, Mrs. Rose."

"_Anyway," _Summer continued, "_Velvet and I hid far away enough that Crumma wouldn't find me. I also heard that he had struck a deal with someone that he'd leave Remnant alone for information of my existence… although I personally knew it was a lie. But something that made me realize that I couldn't stay on Remnant for very long was the reveal that Raven was still alive and in Imperial custody. Unfortunately, I wasn't in a stable enough condition to leave right away. After giving Velvet's parents a proper burial, she and I traveled together for a little bit while I recovered. I taught her enough to get her started with her Aura, Semblance, and weapon. Eventually came the time that I needed to leave if I was ever going to save Raven. I made sure Velvet was ready, and sent her to someone I could trust in Vale: Ozpin. While he didn't know who sent her, he did know that she was skilled."_

"And then you found my mother and spent ten years in space," Yang finished.

"Glad to know you set her up," Coco smiled. "Velvet may not be my partner, but she's my best friend, and you made her a prodigy. Thanks, Mrs. Rose."

"_Thank you, for being her friend," _Summer nodded. Looking at her daughters, she continued, "_Raven and I spent years dismantling as much of the power structure Crumma had as we could without his notice, even hitting some Outer and Mid Rim Republic types of corrupt sorts, and we did some bounty hunting as well because we're good at it… with a little help from a few friends I still had in the galaxy. However, that was not enough. Crumma somehow discovered the existence of Ruby, who I kept secret from even my apprentices, and revealed it to the Republic's Supreme Chancellor."_

"How did you keep me secret?" Ruby asked.

"_Here, I wore some pretty thick robes to hide my pregnancy," _Summer humorously answered. "_Your father didn't even know I was pregnant until he put his hand on my stomach and felt you kick around month four, I think. You were really excitable."_

"You make good cookies," Ruby recalled.

"_As for everyone else, I made sure to avoid showing my Scroll to people, for one. It's strange technology where I come from. I also didn't talk about Taiyang, Yang, or you outside of people I knew I could trust. The last thing you needed were vengeful or paranoid people you didn't know after you."_

"But now, Darth Crumma knows about me?"

"_Him, the Empire, the entire Jedi Order, the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, and the stars know who else,"_ Summer said. "_I tried to do the right thing, Ruby. I made a big sacrifice by continuing that mission when I discovered Crumma in Titan's Claw to save everyone I could, but I forced a bigger one on you, by making you the primary target of both the Republic and the Empire because you're my daughter... among other issues I need to clear-up, first. The galactic community's opinion of me already puts them in a position to judge you quite harshly. All I can do is work on a plan to stop Crumma. I've been trying to avoid you following my footsteps… not as a Huntress, but as a Sith. Being drawn to the lure of the Dark Side."_

"I have always dreamed of being a Huntress to save people and be a hero like you and Dad," Ruby replied. "I always felt it was honoring your memory. But now that you're back, I want to continue your work. And the best part is—if we all can get through this—we can be together again, right? We can be a family?" Summer looked away. "Mom?"

"_With Raven back?"_ Summer asked. "_I… I don't know. Taiyang was with Raven, first… I gave up my chance to be with him until Raven went missing. If he wants to be with her… I'm not willing to interfere."_ Ruby looked down. "_Also, I still thought you'd hate me."_

"Part of me is mad you left me when I needed you," Ruby confessed. "We mourned you for ten years. I was hurt… and that wound, while less painful now, still hurts. It'll take time to really heal. However, I was too little to know what was going on. You also had good reasons and good intentions to stop Crumma. After all, if that Black Dragon you fought was allowed to continue attacking, a lot of people on Patch could have died. To me, you're one cool Huntress."

"Heck yeah you are!" Yang cheered. "If you've gone toe-to-toe with people that can use telekinesis and even rebel against your own evil system, you're good in my book!" Summer was taken aback by the two accepting her. "Don't worry… I've been keeping a good eye on Ruby since you and my mom have been gone. And I plan to keep doing so. Just make sure my other mom gets through this, too... I'm not done with her, yet."

"_Don't be too hard on her, Yang,"_ Summer advised, turning away. There was a sniffle in the background before she turned back to the group. "_But thank you all."_

"No problem," Coco said. "Hey, first-years, feel free to make this place like your home. Just five conditions: you clean up your own messes, you don't use this place as your own storage machine when you have rocket lockers, you don't use this room for some 'alone time' between you and someone else, and you make sure the fridge is stocked with nothing with more kick than my coffee creamer, which speaking of if you use, you have to pay for replacement bottles." Neptune opened the fridge, spotting a bunch of non-alcoholic beverages and a bottle of coffee creamer.

"Hey, that's the same type of coffee creamer I like!" Ruby noted. "Do you have strawberries in here?"

"You'll have to buy them," Coco said. "I'll let you guys finish this." With that, she walked out of the longue, Velvet behind her.

"_I'm glad you all have a place to talk about this kind of stuff besides your room," _Summer smiled. "_Now, for a little bit of fun. How about we swap stories?"_ The group spent lunch simply talking. Summer learned a few things about the group: Blake's status as a Faunus, Jaune had seven sisters, Team RWBY's unstable-looking bunk beds, Ruby and Weiss' Nevermore flight, the time Nora "coerced" an Ursa to give her a ride to the ruins that the two teams formed, how Sun smuggled himself from Mistral to Vale ahead of his team, the existence of Penny, and Pyrrha's status as a champion in Mistral. Summer, meanwhile, shared stories of planets she had seen in her lifetime―the stormy jungle of Dromund Kaas, the simplistic farmland with Jedi Dantooine, the dry desert of Tatooine, the frozen wasteland of Hoth, the metallic, glistening city-world of Coruscant―and the group of teens were admittedly perplexed by how planets can have one coherent climate throughout the entire planet.

"I mean, really," Jaune once said when they got to Coruscant, "you mean to tell me that the entire planet is one massive city? That's the capital of the Galactic Republic? How do you make an entire planet your capital? And they rely on farm worlds like this... Dantooine for their food supply? Why would you dedicate entire planets to farming? Even I can tell that makes no sense just looking at it."

"Not to mention how much Lien it would cost to import necessary supplies like food, water, medicine, and anything else," Pyrrha said. "How is the universe not bankrupt?"

"_I know, my galaxy's pretty weird,"_ Summer quipped. "_Whatever deity that was responsible for the formation of the galaxy had either a very terrible sense of humor, a great degree of laziness, or had no idea how habitable planets are supposed to really work. I was actually caught off-guard with how competent and self-sufficient Remnant was when I first came. People in my galaxy may call it a low-tech backwater, but it actually doesn't need the rest of the universe. It's basically a less noble-centered Alderaan or Naboo. Oh, and the main currency in the galaxy are called 'Credits'. I think they stopped using paper money millennia ago."_

"That explains why I'm currently required to pay back quite the tab," Yang said, looking at a bill Junior sent her about Mont's drinks.

Eventually, after a conversation about school and the Vytal Festival, the conversation began winding down. "_Okay, ladies and gentlemen. I have to get ready for Crumma. I'll contact you again when it's safe, okay, Ruby? I'll have a surprise for you, soon."_

"Mom, wait!" Ruby called. "What do you know about psychic dream attacks?"

"_Crumma did attack you,"_ Summer remembered from talking to Qrow. "_He must have sense our bond reforming. Unfortunately, I cannot exactly keep him out of your mind for you... but I CAN encourage you a different way. When you sleep, try concentrating your Aura. It'll make it a little harder to sleep, but it purges darkness from your soul, meaning that Crumma will have difficulty attacking you in your dreams. He still will be able to sense you, but he can't possess you or try to hurt you."_

"Alright," Ruby nodded. "Be careful, both you and Yang's mom. I don't want to have come so close only to lose you again."

"_Okay,"_ Summer promised. "_This time, I won't make myself a liar. I love you, girls. Summer out."_

The hologram faded, and the device in Ruby's hand turned off. The red-haired reaper smiled, tears in her eyes. "Ruby?" Weiss asked her partner. "What's wrong?"

"It's been ten years since I heard her voice," Ruby breathed. "Ten years I spent thinking she was dead. Not only did she turn out to be alive… but she's done this for me. Mom... she's home." Weiss looked away, attempting to hide her watering eyes.

"Your mother really loves you, doesn't she?" Weiss asked. She gently sighed, and the group noticed how she clutched a desk she was nearby and wiped her eyes on her jacket sleeve. '(I wonder if mine ever did?)' Looking behind her, she said, "Okay... let's help her put this all to rest so you can be a family."

"And prepare for round two with Rumwash," Yang said.

"And save the world," Blake agreed.

"And you bet we're helping, too," Jaune nodded. Everyone looked at him. "Look, I may not be strong as you all, or smart, but we're all friends, right? Friends should really stick together. If you guys need Team JNPR, we're just across the hall."

"Yeah," Nora grinned. "This is our fight, too!"

"Um, since when?" Ruby asked.

"Since you called Jaune!" Nora grinned. "That's how adventures work! We get called, help out once, find out the quest, and we pick up that call to adventure to fight the bad guys!"

"Yeah!" Sun grinned. "It's awesome like that!"

"I'm not sure that's how this works," Ren said. "But we should help you with this one. You four may be good, but you can always have backup."

"I'm here, too," Neptune agreed.

"Right," Pyrrha agreed. "I must say even though I'm scared, I'm curious about the Jedi, the Sith, everything. They have similar powers to me. Besides, if this is as bad as everyone makes it out to be, the whole school, Vale, and maybe all of Remnant will be in jeopardy."

Ruby smiled at the four members of Team JNPR, Sun, and Neptune. "Alright!" she cheered. "All in favor of being the ten youngest Huntsmen and Huntresses-in-training to take on and defeat forces from beyond and save Remnant from utter destruction, say 'Aye'!"

"Hold it, Ruby!" Weiss scowled. "Aren't you forgetting something, young lady?"

"What?" Ruby asked. Weiss held up Ruby's book she acquired yesterday. "Oh, right. Paper. Darn."

"And the rest of our studies, too," Weiss said. "Now, move, Ruby. You have a paper to finish." The shorter redhead pouted, but marched out. The rest of the group laughed before following her, save for Weiss and Pyrrha. "Good... hopefully, as long as nobody else shows up, we'll have a few days of silence." She and the others then all stopped, and looked up to the sky, sensing a strange yet strong presence.

"Did anyone else feel that?" Pyrrha asked. "Something's coming... something big. Is it the Emperor?"

"No, it's not him," Ruby breathed. "He was different... burning... cruel... hateful... dark. This one? It's calm... gentleful yet strong... and simply warm rather than too hot."

"It's probably nothing we need to immediately worry about," Weiss insisted. "Now, let's get going. I'd rather not have anything else crazy happen this weekend."

* * *

**Rishi Maze, Remnant System―19:13**

On the edge of the system, a group of starships emerged from hyperspace, bearing the symbol of the Galactic Republic. In the middle of one of the smaller, bright red ships, a cloaked figure kneeled, surrounded by a golden aura. A Republic crew member walked up to the figure. "General," the man reported, "we've entered the Remnant system... Admiral Onasi said we'll be planetside in less than a standard rotation."

"Good to know," the figure said in a woman's voice, her aura fading. "What of the Spirit of Roses, local defenses, and the Imperials?"

"There's an Imperial fleet in orbit above the planet, but they're not in a normal combat formation. If anything, it looks like a standard Imperial Diplomatic fleet, but I know Darth Mel's personal flagship anywhere. Our long-range scans detect a fleet of ships that, while not exactly space worthy, do pack serious firepower above a heavily populated center for technology beneath ours. They're most likely Remnant ships, and they have guns pointed skyward, most likely expecting us and are not looking like they want visitors. As for the Spirit of Roses... after the fall of Rishi Station, she was last reported leaving Naboo towards the Maze. She's most likely here."

"She is," the cloaked woman answered. "I sense her through the Force. Her, and a similar, younger variation. Most likely the girl we're looking for."

"Are... are you sure, General?" the soldier said.

"You don't have to call us 'Generals,' Lyonvas," the woman said, standing up and a giant hologram of Remnant appeared in front of them. "But yes, I'm sure." Looking at the giant blue ball with the series of land masses shaped like some kind of mythological creatures, she pointed towards the center of the top-right part of the middle landmass. "The Spirit of Roses' daughter is there." She heard him gulp. "Lieutenant, what's wrong?"

"Ma'am," Lieutenant Lyonvas explained, "that's where most of those Remnant battleships we detected are. We go in like this, we risk an immediate hostile contact." The woman looked at Lyonvas with surprise.

"Oh... well, then we better be subtle, and hope the Force is with us."

"Should I have Admiral Onasi prep the prototype cloaking device just in case while the fleet spreads out?"

"Good suggestions, Lieutenant."

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: And that is how is a brief history of Summer Rose, reintroduces Dohet to the plot. Fun fact, Jaune's time with a Force Ghost had three full rewrites. The first one was going to be Summer Rose's introduction scene where she used parts of the courtyard to form stairs, breaking into Team JNPR's room by accident. I swear, I have that adaptation somewhere. Second version of the scene focused on Imperius herself. But this time? I wanted to remind everyone that Dohet existed.

Also, Ruby's talk with her mother had 80% less Coco, Velvet, Sun, and Neptune. However, I felt Velvet, because I've tied her into Summer's story, needed a lot more involvement, Coco's badass, and Sun and Neptune, while goofy, are still Blake and Weiss' love interests... I know a lot of people are pro-Bumblebee and pro-White Rose/Ice Flower, but I was going with semi-canon relationships, and I'm sorry if Black Sun and whatever WeissXNeptune is called are not your ideal pairings. Let's move on.

So now you know why Summer hates Alderaan and is worried about Crumma. Oh, and we know some really powerful Jedi is about to land on Remnant. Before you ask why isn't there a giant space battle happening right at the end, Darth Mel isn't really interested in risking her small fleet of diplomatic ships in a battle against the Republic, and the Republic has a few diplomatic representatives they can't risk in a dogfight.

So, before I go see _The Force Awakens,_ your reviews are calling to me. I should let them in, and answer them.

**A.K.b00m:** That's only the appetizer to Crumma's true power of the Dark Side. I actually researched a Dark Side ability that allows Force-users to do something like Crumma's ability to dominate Grimm, so this wasn't farfetched. And he has the mindset of an Alpha Male in a species of carnivores. Just imagine him riding a Goliath... yeah, Vale's screwed.

Also, about the Death Battle reference. Fun fact, that scene was also rewritten. In the original moment, Yang had, like Ruby, hit all of the buttons, and Weiss and Blake complained about it. However, I had just watched Yang vs. Tifa, and it was too relevant to NOT make a reference to it, but write it off as a dream.

Though, after the latest episode of _RWBY_ (as of the point I'm writing this review), holy crap am I starting to regret it.

**Nerfighter1309:** You know, the one thing I'm glad that hasn't been completely thrown out the window by what we learned so far? This theory that the Grimm were created by the Creative One! *Raises hand for a high-five*

**dan45000:** Yeah, sure, Anakin/Vader is tied into this since Ruby's apparently destined to unbalance the Force.

**infernoXray:** I really did enjoy a lot of Volume 3 so far. However, my main complaint here is the lack of pacing, some of the events are (we don't see JNPR's Doubles round or Penny's full team), and how out-of-focus Blake is, when this volume is clearly promising a confrontation between Blake and Adam. If they don't do it soon, I will. I'm still on the fence about writing an adaptation of the Vytal Festival, however, since the plot of that mainly hinges on Cinder NOT being distracted by her fear of Summer and Crumma messing up her plans.

**RedemptionWarrior:** Again, the Death Battle reference seemed like a good idea at the time.

A lot of the stuff in these few chapters is exposition. The action that will happen, soon, will more than make up for that. As for Crumma, well... he may not be smart, but he was powerful, and his killings weren't within academy walls with witnesses (the only major rule the school had). His main overseer tended to bribe, blackmail, torture, or murder anyone who dared publically disagree with him. Also, the few overseers who had complaints against Crumma weren't really popular with the more powerful overseers. So, yeah, Crumma got away with his acts until the school realized what a problem he was for them. By then, however, it was too late for many of the acolytes, including a prodigy of one.

Maxdi, however, was counting on Crumma being among the graduates who he could use to take over the Empire, and when Summer derailed his plans by nearly killing Crumma, he grabbed Crumma's cooked near-corpse, rebuilt him, and turned him into a cyborg enforcer. A mistake that would end up completely screwing over the Empire, plunging the galaxy into war, and everything bad that's happened to or will happen to Summer and Ruby throughout this story. He's an ass.

**Dimension Crosser:** You're the person responsible for _Void Dust,_ right? Nice to meet you! Anyway, I do like your story, as it includes my favorite parts about the Clone Wars (Ahsoka, Grevious, Rex, Ruby shooting Grevious in the face), and you actually show how while strong Aura is, lightsabers can chew through Aura quickly. That's something I'm going to explore here.

As for lightsaber modification... I saw a mash-up of clips of _RWBY_ and the new trailer to _The Force Awakens,_ and it ended with Ruby and Weiss lighting up their weapons like lightsabers (and this was on top of their mentors having lightsabers). So yes. I don't know how, but Crescent Rose, Myrtenaster, and possibly Gambol Shroud will get some younger siblings (or a beam weapon variation). Why not Ember Celica? Besides Yang's fighting style is kick-boxing, I already had something in mind for Yang as an upgrade.

Okay, I think we're done. See you at the end of the week, my subjects!


	10. Chapter 10: The Remnant Awakens

A/N: Remnant... it's calling to you. Just let it in.

By the way, this is going to be the last chapter of this for the year. Sorry, no Life Day/Christmas update. I have to work on other projects I neglected. We start the following morning.

* * *

**Vale City—Residential District—07:43**

"Well," Artemis said as he looked over the map of Beacon Academy that they had downloaded on their Scroll. After convincing a landlady (by Jedi Mind Tricking her) to lease them an apartment and an English-to-Aurebesh translation that took almost a full day, he and his fellow Padawan Jadecal looked over the staff list: Glynda Goodwitch, Ozpin, Peter Port. They were all known by several Jedi, and advised by their Masters to not underestimate them at any costs. "This may be a lot more complicated than we thought after meeting Ruby. With the Spirit of Roses back and the Sith in play, we don't really have much time. We need to investigate the Huntsmen Academy."

"Huntsmen," Jadecal breathed as she meditated, a green Dust crystal floating in front of her. "They really can use the Force for both offense and defense, are trained in combat, but are neither Jedi nor Sith as they spend so much time fighting creatures of the Dark Side, but are wild by our terms. They're Gray Jedi Mandalorians sent to battle dark forces."

"The Grimm," Artemis recalled. "The people of Remnant barely have a foothold on this planet so they are not spaceflight-capable. But how did humanity get here, and how did they survive for so long, even if they had the Force?"

"I heard that it was Dust from Master Citarhi," Jadecal said as the crystal lowered into her hands. "I sense that the Force is strong within these crystals, and can be manifested into incredible power. Using this and the Force channeling through this material, they were able to secure themselves within their four kingdoms."

"Ah," Artemis nodded. "So that explains the white haired girl's power. We barely know a lot of what is going on in this world."

"So we're twisting my school approach, kid?" Mont said as she walked into the room the two Padawans had chosen as their base of operation. "I'm however, a little too old to get into Beacon. Though I'd bet I'd look great in a school uniform."

"Oh, Captain Mont," Jadecal greeted. "I didn't know you were going to come so soon. Where's the rest of Havoc Squad?"

"Commander's debriefing our new arrivals while I hang with you kids," Mont greeted, ruffling Jadecal's hair. While Jadecal fixed her hair, Mont continued, "After that fight downtown, Commander Steele had Lieutenant Iris do a background check on the eight Huntsmen that helped you guys yesterday. We're still working on one for Team CFVY, though. Luckily for all of us, she's good at decoding different languages. Her SIS training really served her well. Wanna hear what we got so far?"

"Yes, please," Artemis agreed.

"Gladly," Mont grinned, placing a datapad on the table. She pressed a button, and revealed several translated files on Team RWBY and Team JNPR. "So, Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks really are half-sisters, and the daughters of Taiyang Xiao Long, better known as the 'Sun Dragon'. The guy tore through the Jedi Temple on Tython years ago with only a bow, several arrows, and punching all the things, if the reports are accurate. And their uncle, the Void Crow, won the Mandalorians' Great Hunt twenty years ago with the Spirit's help. So, yeah, their family is already a threat if we tick them off, not counting Red's super speed and Goldilocks' ability to take damage and add it to her own strength, usually with a red hot aura. I've heard 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger', but that's ridiculous."

"Huntsmen really do use their emotions in combat," Jadecal said. "Hopefully not a double-edged sword for them."

"So their mothers are the Spirit of Roses and the Raven of Nevermore, respectively, but their father is the only Huntsman from twenty years ago who is currently unaccounted for," Artemis mused, looking towards Beacon. "What about the other two members of their team and the other young Huntsmen?"

"Well," Mont said, flipping to a page on Blake, "the bad news about the Beauty of Beasts is that not even Iris could figure out where she came from or who she is. We've tried finding intel about Blake Belladonna, and nothing stands out except for the fact that she lacks the formal combat training that most students have prior to attending Beacon Academy. She didn't come from a combat school before this, so she must be really qualified."

"I sensed something strange about her before her reveal as some type of human-Cathar hybrid," Jadecal said. "If she's not formally trained, then who taught her how to use the Force to make illusions like that?"

"Who knows?" Mont shrugged. "All that matters is she's a wild card. You said she is a Faunus, too, so I guess that shot my 'Faunus are cute long-eared humanoids' theory. They're part human, part animal. Now, for Lady Thunder and Lotus Assassin—Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren, last name first for the boy—turns out they are childhood friends that live in a small mountain region away from the main part of Vale called Wushi, and the boy has been trained in a similar style to that of the Sun Dragon. Nothing else really big on them, but Valkyrie will only really listen to Lie and their team's leader, the Blonde Knight, real name Jaune Arc."

"He was the one who defeated Rumwash, yesterday, with that sword," Artemis recalled. "I honestly thought that most steel sword-and-shield tactics fell out of practice eons and barely any non-primitive species apart from Wookiees, Gungans, and Ewoks use them. In fact, if you see a sword, it's usually a lightsaber in the hands of a Jedi or Sith or a vibroblade or techblade. Even the other bladed weapons had some kind of technological advancement. Yet, Jaune managed to briefly hold his own and WIN a fight against a Force-user with an outdated weapon that—somehow—damaged Rumwash's connection to the Force. I know we should control our emotions, but... I fear what that blade is capable of."

Mont shrugged, "Yeah, glad I was just a smuggler who the Republic decided to recruit and shipped off to Havoc to get people where they need to go, because that was way above my head." She then turned to the Jedi, and continued, "Jaune… I don't really know much about him, but apparently, he comes from quite the bloodline of heroes, all of whom have that Force-Slaying blade as I dubbed it, and he has seven sisters. Huge family aside, his mother's first name… you guys ever hear of Aurelia?"

"Aurelia?" Artemis asked. "…No, it's not likely… is it? Grand Master Shan would have mentioned it if she thought she was alive…"

"Perhaps she doesn't know, yet," Mont said. "Or it's not her. But the real star of Team JNPR has to be the Amazon they have. Pyrrha Nikos, a young champion from Mistral—another kingdom on this planet. Why more than one central government, I have no idea, but it makes any real annexation plans far more difficult. Anyway, Nikos hasn't lost an official tournament match in her life, and she's a celebrity. My opinion, she'd totally be Jedi material if she wasn't determined to try to live a 'normal' life as a Huntress, the school seems to have a keen interest in her... and she didn't have an obvious crush on the Blonde Knight where your group practices celibacy."

"She and Ruby showed remarkable skill facing Rumwash," Jadecal said. "Both could have defeated him or at least stood on even ground without his army attacking them. However, you failed to mention the Dust-using girl with white hair… Weiss Schnee."

"Oh, Miss Snow White is where Commander Steele's lead is," the captain smirked. "She's got a juicy past that the Commander couldn't ignore. Or rather, her father and his company she's set to inherit."

"Huh?" Jadecal asked. "Is she in danger of falling to the Dark Side?"

"Not sure about your Jedi lingo, but her father's company has been doing some questionable things. And we have reason to believe he knows about the Republic and the Sith more than most people on this planet do. According to the Commander, that makes him both a potential asset and a threat."

"Then we should monitor Weiss Schnee's father as well as Ruby Rose, her mother, and Jaune Arc," Artemis concluded.

"And our Amazon," Mont reminded. "She's powerful, and if I may be so bold, a gifted Force-user. Crumma may only want to enslave one redhead out of spite to the Spirit of Roses, but if he discovers the existence of another skilled redhead girl, he will take note and make her an apprentice, as well."

"If not for the threat of war, I would suggest recruiting them both," Jadecal mused. "Still, our Masters have requested we just stick to monitoring the Huntsmen students. We will act when the time comes."

"In the meantime," Mont said, "I have to give you two your school supplies." Both Jedi looked at each other before having two Beacon uniforms plop onto their laps.

"What are these robes?" Jadecal asked. "No offense, but the skirt's a little short..."

"Yeah, apparently, every Huntsmen Academy except for those in the desert region of Vacuo have this dress code during school classes. That's the girl's Beacon uniform... in your size, no less."

"Dare I ask where did you get these?" Artemis asked.

"Do you want to know the answer to that question or do you want me to get you on Beacon Academy's soil and not be immediately stabbed by Huntsmen?"

* * *

_**Frost Rune―**_**Skies Above Vale Ocean―11:34**

"Thanks again for the lift, Miss Schnee," a blonde man said as he looked outside the airship window from the bridge. "Would have taken me a few days to get back otherwise." The white haired young woman flying the ship put it on autopilot, looked around, making sure the soldiers, human and robot, were not there, and smiled.

"Not a problem, Mr. Xiao Long," she said. "After all, you and I said we were going the same way for our respective missions. Our relatives also just so happen to be partners, after all. Why not visit them together?"

"Yeah, small world," Taiyang Xiao Long chuckled. "Who would have thought that my Little Wolf Ruby would be partnering up for four years with the younger of the Schnee sisters?"

"Apparently, fate," Winter Schnee answered. "I'm willing to bet that Weiss was extremely angry that not only did she fail to get the partner she desired on her team, but lost her desired leadership position to a fifteen-year old. No offense."

"None taken," Taiyang said. "While I'm a combat teacher, I usually let others―mainly my old teammates―do the heavy thinking for me, while I sat people down, talked to them about their issues, punched people who deserved it in the face, or make very subtle death threats to the boys who stared at Yang's chest or butt for more than five seconds or those who tried anything on Ruby."

"Overprotective," Winter observed. "You know, my father is somewhat like that, too... except he hasn't exactly been an ideal father to me or Weiss. He has tried to control our destinies since we were children, trying to compete us against each other. It got worse when the White Fang began to be a problem. He's never approved of us being Huntresses like you do to your girls. If I would take a guess, Father sees us more of as trying to have a legacy and entice rich, powerful allies to get us to marry their sons. I'm glad Weiss has decided to leave Atlas and Father behind. Part of the reason I'm in the military and a Huntress was to grow out of his influence."

"I'm sorry to hear that you two have problems," Taiyang frowned. "My girls may think I'm overprotective... and they're right. It's just after their respective mothers, I can't help but be worried. But I at least show my love for them." Holding up his Scroll that displayed a white holocron, "Too bad I have to talk to James and—for some reason—President Schnee keeps ignoring my calls. He and I have a lot to talk about parenting among other things."

"You said you knew the specifics about the attack on Vale and how it involved both of these foreign powers," Winter recalled. "And you need that artifact. What do you know about them, if I may ask?"

"Normally," Taiyang confessed, "I wouldn't talk about it apart from close company, but with it affecting your sister and you being James' apprentice, I feel like you should probably know what's going on. Qrow's going to be pissed, though, but it's my choice." With a sigh, he began, "This all started twenty-four years ago, about... six weeks before I came to Beacon for my Huntsman training. I had just left my home village outside of Vale called 'Wushi', having completed my basic training, when a literal starship crashed not far from the trail. I fought off a ton of Grimm, broke into the ship, and hauled out the only two survivors of the crash... one was this old smuggler guy that turned out to be really cool, and the second was a cute redheaded girl with pretty silver eyes. I didn't know it at the time, but I had just met my second wife. Not that my first wasn't amazing, either. I wish I knew what I did wrong, though, to make Raven leave... and I should have gone to protect Summer." Taiyang let a few tears slip, but gently wiped them off.

"Sounds tragic but romantic at the same time," Winter commented, leaning in. "Please, Mr. Xiao Long, do keep going. It'll help"

* * *

**Forever Fall—16:10**

While Mont's trio were planning and Taiyang and Winter were talking, another plan was in motion. A red and white Republic starship landed in a clear spot in the forest. Masters Kombu and Citarhi, alongside Steele, walked through the forest towards the ship. The ship opened up, and out of it emerged a human woman who looked pretty good for someone in her mid-late sixties with light brown hair, blue eyes and fair skin, wearing a blue sleeveless tunic over beneath a long brown cloak and brown pants, a lightsaber at her belt. She was followed by five more people and a gold protocal droid.

The first was a Twi'lek that was clearly male with blue skin and white robes and a lightsaber at his side. He had a sour look on his face as he looked at the planet, almost as if he sensed the darkness of the Grimm all over the world.

The second was human man in his mid sixties with curly black hair that was graying, blue eyes, a slight beard, wearing an orange flak jacket, brown pants, with a pair of pistols at his hips, and a small pole on his back that had two prongs on the side and several buttons.

The third wasn't really a person at all, but a giant creature covered in brown fur, with a large sword and what appeared to be some kind of high-tech crossbow strapped to its back, and a giant brown belt with several explosives and an odd metallic skull crest pinned to it. Yep, it was a Wookiee.

The fourth was another non-human, a two meter tall Ithorian with green skin, blue eyes, and wearing simple brown clothing. The protocol droid was sticking closest to him.

As for the last person, it was Lieutenant Duncan Lyonvas, having been cleared for active duty. The lieutenant took a look at the Havoc CO, and stood at attention.

"At ease, lieutenant," Steele said, allowing the man to relax. "Going from watching pirate activity and monitoring a dwarf galaxy for signs of contact beyond it to escorting ambassadors on a diplomatic mission. Can't tell if that's a promotion or demotion, Lieutenant."

"I don't know either, sir," Lyonvas said. "I guess after securing the safety of Chancellor Bi, General Blu Gil thought I'd be better off on the front lines but still serving as a bodyguard for Ambassador Grengit. Don't mind too much... I'm not exactly Special Forces like you and Havoc. Just a grunt with a blaster and an implant that allows me to slice into networks and better targeting."

"You sell yourself too short, LT," Steele said. "No offense to the Mon Calamari, but the General is wasting you on guard duty."

"He and a lot of people also felt that I was too close to Chancellor Bi after Rishi," Lyonvas added. "Command is worried that a soldier serving as the Chancellor's immediate bodyguard makes her look vulnerable."

"Now that makes sense," Steele chuckled. "She is easy on the eyes and is incredibly nice for someone in her position in the middle of a war, but she bellies a firm belief that the Republic stands far stronger united together. She's the first Supreme Chancellor in almost twenty years who DOESN'T want this war to end in the absolute destruction of the Empire, but knows the Emperor is probably the only reason this still continues. She's only hard on crime because the Hutt Cartel keeps harassing Republic territory. She's an idealist, and probably won't last longer than her first term, but we could probably use a breath of fresh air in a while."

"[Indeed,]" Ambassador Grengit said while walking over. "[A change of scenery is nice. Don't you think so, G7-1T?]"

"Of course, Master," the droid nodded. "I hope the people of Remnant are quite well mannered. Although I can't help but wonder why we landed in this Maker-forsaken forest instead of a proper spaceport?"

"Sorry, Gee-seven," the old human male chuckled. "No spaceports detected on our approach, and landing a starship in the middle of a city after a Sith attack, especially with all of those guns above the city? Bad move. It's okay, though, the scenic route looks nice this evening."

"Admiral!" G7-1T protested. "You have no idea where the city is nor what creatures lurk here! Besides, you have a duty to guarantee the safety of the Ambassador!"

"I'd say eight klicks southwest between this LZ and the city limits," Steele answered. "Far enough that nobody would've seen you landing this late, but close enough to the city that you'll get there before daybreak. And don't worry about the beasties... blasters and lightsabers seem to have better effect on the monsters than this world's Dust." To prove his point, he turned around, and shot an approaching Ursa a few times, burning holes in its body. The creature dissolved while the rest of the group watched in awe. "Two confirmed kills on those ursae species, eighteen on a biped canine species, twelve of a swine species. And that's just me. Jedi got a bunch more, and they started retreating towards the deeper parts. I think they've cut their losses, tonight. If not, between the lot of us, the Ambassador's in safe hands."

Meanwhile, the Jedi were getting reacquainted. "Grand Master Shan," Kombu greeted, "When you called saying you were on route to Remnant, I wasn't expecting you to come so soon."

"I had to, Kombu," the woman, Yale Shan, explained. "This is the daughter of Ashura's apprentice we've been discussing. If the daughter of Natsumi Himura is really a threat, I should personally oversee this mission to stop the threat. And if she's not, well, I wish to at least introduce myself to her and answer her questions about her destiny. I owe her that much, seeing as this began with my trip to Voss. Also, Master Tillicru wished to see this as well."

"And Admiral Oriole Onasi?" Citarhi asked. "Why are you and Mallawarr here? Not that any of us mind having a Wookiee on board."

"[Like the Grand Master said, this is Natsumi's daughter we are discussing,]" the Wookiee reasoned. "[My father was Huntmaster when she and her friends tore up the galaxy on the Great Hunt, taking on worthy foes. I should also at least meet her.]"

"Oh, you're curious," the Cathar realized. "I know Natsumi was really skilled in bounty hunting of all things, but… Ruby Rose may be different from her."

"So that's the child's name?" the Twi'lek nodded. "I'm surprised that Natsumi had children at all, knowing what the child could possibly do. She could be the end of the Light, or the End of the Dark. That would cause the foretold Chosen One to bring balance to the Force... but we do not know if it could be for better or worse. Even though the Sith would want the Jedi destroyed and wish to use the girl to do just that, why would one deliberately endanger the Force when it gives them their power?"

"No idea," the admiral, Oriole Onasi, shrugged. "Glad I wasn't born Force sensitive, though." Looking at the Wookiee, he asked, "What about you, Mallawarr?"

Mallawarr shrugged, "[My kind has been able to survive without the Force. You have been skilled without it, Admiral.]"

"Good point," Oriole smirked, "we non-Force-users get by easy enough."

"Admiral Onasi," Yale asked, "why did you come if you weren't curious about this?" Oriole looked away from the Jedi Grandmaster, and sighed. "…It's about your daughter, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," Oriole confessed. "I mean, she is technically your niece as well, and she was pretty strong in the Force like you, but she had her problems. Sure, she was a good pilot—I taught her that. However, she was only sixteen when I saw her last, and her ship was in the Rishi Maze before being shot down by that pirate gang… I can't help but wonder what's happened to her. If she's still even alive… she's my daughter, after all."

"I understand," Yale nodded. "My elder sister and you loved her very much, and my brother never met her… the strange thing is that despite the unimaginable amount of Dark Side energy I feel because of the creatures here, I sense her on this planet. Though her connection to the Force is… stronger than it was before."

"[The Force has a high connection here?]" Mallawarr asked.

"Yes… this whole planet's connection to the Force is strong. Almost too strong. It's like the planet has a Force wound that has never healed, creating the darkness, but the Light Side energy on this planet still shines, almost like a beacon of hope."

"But the light is barely stable enough, here, and the darkness clouds much of the core of this planet," the Twi'lek said. "Perhaps the extreme amount of darkness is what that Jedi Master sensed before she wished to destroy this planet, and in the end, make her lose her way."

"Uh-huh," Oriole said. "I'm not even going to pretend I understood HALF of that Jedi talk. Only that we all can agree that she was crazy enough to commit genocide on people who don't even have space-flight or the Republic existed, yet. But what is important is that we can still find my daughter and she's alive? Well, that's good to know that I have a chance before I retire to see her."

"Anyway, our report so far," Citarhi said.

"One second, General Citarhi," Lyonvas said, tapping his implant. Two holograms appeared next to each other... one was a male Mon Calamari wearing a Republic general's uniform, and the other was Chancellor Asasha Bi. Oriole, Lyonvas, and Steele all saluted. "General, Supreme Chancellor."

"_At ease, gentlemen,"_ the Mon Calamari said. "_Take it you're all on Remnant?"_

"Yes sir, no casualties so far," Lyonvas said, returning to his more relaxed position.

"_Glad to know everybody's okay,"_ Asasha said. "_So, bring me and General Blu Gil up to speed on the situation, please, and leave nothing important out."_

"Can do, Lady Chancellor," Citarhi nodded. "We've made contact with the Daughter of the Spirit of Roses, and she is surprisingly nice, almost too trusting. Natsumi is still going by her new identity, Summer Rose, and her daughter is named Ruby Rose… alliterative, almost cute in a way. I guess it was a nod to our old friend on Korriban. She's here in a city kingdom called 'Vale'."

"_Here I was thinking we'd have to commit a planet-wide manhunt," _the Mon Calamari said. "_I guess that 'spread out and sweep' order wasn't necessary."_

"To be fair, old friend," Kombu said, "it took us some time to have Specialist Ciara Iris translate the reports in Mistral to Aurebesh from this 'Remnant English', otherwise, we would have found her sooner. Sergeant Ulgo and Lieutenant Iris are still figuring out how Dust works and if we could properly use it, heading to Atlas, otherwise they would be here."

"And Captain Mont is with the Padawans working on accessing the target's location," Steele added.

Citarhi continued, "Anyway, Ruby and her team of Huntresses, alongside four other young Huntsmen, managed to defeat a rogue Sith apprentice and forces. This attack was on top of another recent attack caused by a radical group of terrorists called 'the White Fang', made of predominantly a local alien species called 'Faunus'. Not all Faunus agreed with this group, however, but public opinion of them is at a low. Ruby's team and their companions that assisted us defeating the Sith are currently at a facility called 'Beacon Academy'."

"Beacon?" Oriole asked.

"It is a school that trains Huntsmen and Huntresses," Kombu explained. "Think of it like the Jedi Temples and Enclaves."

"_They have fully equipped training facilities?"_ Blu Gil asked. "_Eight of them nearly destroyed the Empire, outfought whole units of the Republic, and actually beat Sith and Jedi strike teams. If these people decided to ever invade us, I wouldn't know how we'd defeat them apart from sheer numbers, since they don't share styles, especially not Sith styles."_

"Fear not, as this planet is far from advancing to spaceflight," Citarhi assured him. "The civilizations here have problems with Grimm—beings of pure Dark Side energy we defeated on our way here. They've made efforts to expand their civilizations, but their efforts have been mostly in vain. It's a tragedy, but until they secure themselves from the Grimm even further, they will not expand into the galaxy for about a few generations at least without outside help."

"We should probably offer to help them," Yale suggested. "We should have one of our teams we brought here to make an offer of assistance. This should limit the potential hostilities."

"[Good suggestion, Master Jedi,]" Grengit smiled. "[I sense this planet could use the Mother Jungle's merciful touch.]"

"_We should get started right away!" _Asasha agreed.

"Everybody, as kind as it is of the Jedi and you two diplomats are to offer aid on the Republic's behalf," Oriole pointed out, "I'm not one-hundred percent sure that's an entirely good idea. For starters, if this city of Vale just survived a Sith attack and a week prior was subject to a terrorist attack by a group of non-humans, they're not going to be openly trusting of Force-users or non-humans in general―no offense to the aliens present."

"[Some taken,]" Mallawarr said in a humorous grunt.

"Second, we'd have to make an outrageous claim like we'd be able to wipe out the entirety of the Grimm, and it's unfair to use that as a bribe to get Remnant in the Republic. Finally, it would take realistically decades to properly uplift their planet to join the galactic community. We can't just force this issue."

Asasha looked disappointed with a cute pout, but relented, "_Fair enough… I want to help this planet be safe from Crumma, at least."_

"[Can we at least start attempting negotiations?]" Grengit asked.

"I wouldn't be adverse to it," Oriole said, "but this is pretty much still first contact, so be wary. They're going to treat you with a lot of distrust, Ambassador."

"Anyway, you will not believe who teaches at Beacon," Kombu interjected. "Plus who we ran into besides Natsumi."

"Franklin Ozpin the Emerald Wizard and Qrow Branwen the Void Crow," Yale concluded. Oriole chuckled at Ozpin's first name. "They are both powerful Huntsmen, and I sense them. Which means they sense me. This situation needs to be approached with more caution than I thought it would need to be."

"I would hope so," a female voice spoke up.

_**BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

The ground shook as a massive Deathstalker's upper body fell several yards away from them, having been diced in half. The body then began dissolving away. The group looked to see Raven sitting in a tree, looking at her Nevermore mask.

"Because I'd _**hate**_ to see what my brother or my husband would do to you if you and your Padawans tried to go after my daughter or Summer's. The Imperials alone have caused us a great deal of trouble. Summer and I have been nothing short of busy exterminating baited Grimm for the past two days for the first time in years. A militaristic tour de force would have made things worse and lowered my already poor opinion of the Republic."

"The Raven of Nevermore," the Twi'lek scowled.

"Yes, me," Raven replied. "Now, how about we—"

_**SHING. CLICK-CLICK.**_

"Never mind," the samurai finished, looking at Tillicru's blue lightsaber. Oriole and Steele stood in front of the Ithorian, aiming their weapons at Raven, while G7-1T put his hands in front of his face to minimize the possibility of being slashed there. Mallawarr pulled his crossbow, and aimed it at the samurai.

Tillicru demanded, "Lower your weapon, and surrender to the judgment of the Jedi Council now, Nevermore, and answer for your crimes against the Republic!"

"I don't think so," Raven said. "I have business to attend to. Besides, you didn't say 'please', Tilly." Tillicru leapt up, kicking off several trees.

"Tillicru, wait!" Kombu yelled up to the Twi'lek, but he was ignored.

When Tillicru reached the level Raven was up, he charged at her with a mixture of Force Speed and Force Jump, and sliced the branch Raven was on, but Raven had already vanished into a portal before his blade cut her in two. She appeared in the branches of a taller tree, a yellow Dust blade drawn and her mask on.

The samurai asked, "Oh come on, one teasing of your name, and you're already trying to kill me?" Tillicru lunged at her, but Raven clashed her katana with his lightsaber, the blade sparking with electricity. "Three words: sense of humor. Get one." The two began swinging their swords rather quickly, occasionally jumping between portals or jumping from tree-to-tree to catch up between clashes, respectively.

"_Well, this is impressive,"_ Blu Gil said while more of the treetops were torn apart by the two fighters. "_A Jedi vs. a Huntress. A battle of good vs... what can we call 'Huntsmen'? They're not evil like most Sith, but the Republic has had trouble with them before, and calling them 'good' just makes us look bad... I liked this idea better when we were simply fighting the Empire. At least that was easier to tell between the heroes and villains. Here's, it pretty gray."_

"_Should we stop this?"_ Asasha asked. Raven, after blocking an attack, pressed a button on the hilt of the sword, causing an electric current to channel around the blade. Tillicru was forced backwards by this moment. Raven then sheathed her katana, allowing electricity to build up in and around the sheath, before quickly drawing it, slashing a series of electric energy beams that shocked the Jedi Master and sent him flying through several branches.

"You want to slow down, now?" Raven questioned. Tillicru recovered, and continued his pursuit. "Never mind!"

"Blast it, Tillicru," Citarhi grumbled, watching the fight. "You're letting your mistrust of non-Jedi Force-users get the best of you."

"You can't evade me forever, Nevermore!" Tillicru warned her while the two ran across several trees.

"I was going through a phase when I picked that nickname," Raven said while Tillicru leapt at her, which caused her to swing back, blocking the blade again, but that was what the Jedi wanted. He turned off his lightsaber mid-block, pulled back his free right hand, which seemed to have a huge ball of energy building up. Raven gasped a half-second before Tillicru released the ball into her face, the Force pushing her straight through the branch and five more. Raven, recovering through her fall, stabbed her sword into a tree, causing a bit of sliding down the trunk slowed down by her boots digginging into the bark. Meanwhile, Tillicru landed on a nearby set of branches.

"You certainly got tougher," Raven complimented. She noticed his lightsaber was back on, and his arm was starting to move backwards. "Please don't throw that lightsaber."

She was answered was answered by the whooshing sound of a Saber Throw. Raven quickly turned up her boots, and kicked hard enough to break the blade at right above the handle, and continuing her fall right as the blue lightsaber slashed through the tree where the samurai used to be, causing the giant tree to fall into the forest, slamming into the ground. Raven stuck the handle into the sheath, switching to a blue Dust blade, slashing an ice wave at Tillicru, hitting him with an energy slash that froze him to a tree. Raven then slashed a portal a few meters above the Republic group, falling straight through it to avoid hitting them, and reappeared with a thump against the roof of the Republic ship. Tillicru broke free of his ice prison with the Force, recovered his lightsaber, and landed on the roof across from Raven, who was getting up and breathing hard with the amount of effort she had to pull.

"You are outmatched, Nevermore," the Twi'lek said. "Surrender, and we may show mercy."

"I didn't come here to fight you, but I will," Raven replied between breaths, sheathing her sword. "I came to deliver a message. You can hear it, or we can waste a few more hours that I could be using to stop Grimm from attacking Vale because of the Imps. Grimm are drawn to dark emotions like fear, and an attack like Rumwash's has people confused and worried. The only reason the city's standing is because Summer and I have taken turns with guerilla."

"A likely story," Tillicru said, rushing towards her—

"Enough!" Yale said, jumping between the two, blocking Tillicru's blade with her own black-handled blue lightsaber. "Master Tillicru, you must control yourself. She wouldn't come here seeking us for no reason." Raven removed her mask smirking as she did so.

"That didn't get as messy as I thought it would," Raven said. "I'll forward you the bill for any rips in this kimono. Now can I finally speak my piece?"

The two Jedi jumped off the ship, Yale putting her lightsaber away, but Tillicru pointing his at Raven. "You have five minutes, starting now."

"You have a bigger problem than going after my daughter's half-sister," Raven said. "Also, since we're on Remnant, we kind of have immunity from any crimes against the Republic because our planet is beyond the jurisdiction of the Republic."

"_...You know she's not wrong,"_ Asasha admitted while everyone returned their weapons.

"_I know, but I hate it,"_ Blu Gil said.

Looking at the Jedi Grandmaster with a large grin plastered on her face, Raven asked, "Did they mention that Summer has negotiated a temporary truce with your Jedi and she and I are being monitored by one of your Padawans—Naywi?"

"[You kidnapped a Padawan!?]" Grengit asked. "[How did you pull that off?]"

"A starship full of candy, lightsaber crystals, and free HoloNet-Flix," Raven joked. "No, she volunteered to temporarily join us to monitor the Remnant situation. We're not holding her hostage. Citarhi and Kombu ordered, as part of our alliance, for her to stay with us. We don't do anything bad, the Jedi don't come after us. Meanwhile, you guys don't do anything that ticks us off, and we'll play nice."

"A truce?" Yale asked, albeit with a knowing smirk on her face. '(Natsumi really channels her Master.)' "A rogue Sith wishes to form an alliance with the Jedi?"

"Against my personal judgment," Raven answered. "I'd rather not deal with Jedi. I'd rather be trying to build anything akin to a connection to the daughter I barely know right now... because I was afraid that I'd be a terrible mother. And I was right about it. I'm trying, but it's gonna take time. However, we need your help to put Crumma down."

"Jedi do not normally kill if they can help it," Yale said.

"I don't think anyone in the entire galaxy would hold it against you if he's dead," Raven argued.

"_She keeps making good points, why is nobody stopping her?"_ Blu Gil asked.

Raven continued, "Crumma is a monster who has killed millions of people in both the Republic and the Empire and far beyond. He's been killing and torturing since he was first able to use the Force. While you may not care much, he slaughtered many acolytes during his training on Korriban, even though it crippled the Sith Order. He massacred at least one Supreme Chancellor ship's entire crew just to restart your Galactic War because he hated the peace and attempted to pin in on Summer and Imperius, who wasn't even on-board prior to the agreed negotiation period. He violently took over the Empire to the point that even they want him gone but don't talk openly about it. And he'll keep on killing, especially if he gets his hands on Remnant and Ruby. Summer, although not your biggest fan, is willing to work with you because Crumma's that serious of a threat."

"And her daughter isn't?" Tillicru asked.

"What Summer was doing before Crumma attacked her ten years ago was keeping Ruby from being a threat," Raven said. "Ruby is not a tyke bomb, Ruby is Summer's daughter. Summer kept Ruby in the dark about her former life since she thought she was retired from the galaxy. You all could have avoided dragging Summer out of retirement and this Battle of Remnant we're in wouldn't be happening if you Jedi were better at acting on the real threat and got rid of Crumma years ago. You could have saved millions, if not billions, of lives by ending one monster when Summer couldn't despite her best efforts. But yet, you didn't start really stepping up until Yale Shan finally was promoted to Grand Master. Perhaps that's why Summer and I have had to spend ten years doing your jobs of covertly crippling the Empire's efforts for you. Sure, we've hit Republic-related missions as well, but that was because the Republic—especially because of that one Jedi—nearly killed our world, and we will be damned if we let it happen again."

"The Jedi should not act solely on instinct," Tillicru argued.

"Your display of hypocrisy aside, that single-mindedness of 'waiting around until the true threat emerges' is what led the tragedies of the Mandalorian Wars, the Jedi Civil War, and the Great Galactic Wars that have been plaguing your galaxy for over a millennium in the first place," the dark-haired woman spat.

"_I hate to say it, but the solid points she keeps making really hit home," _Blu Gil groaned. "_But how did you know that one?"_

"Summer made me sit through hours of galactic history holos," Raven replied. "Anyway, when the Jedi finally decide to do something… you immediately turn on an innocent teenage girl who would have never been a problem if you hadn't stuck your noses in our business. So, you all have a choice. You could A, waste time and men in an attack on Beacon which will result in the death of many innocents you Jedi are SUPPOSED to protect and a war between Remnant and the universe, or B, actually stop Crumma with Summer and I and save the galaxy and end our own personal conflict in the process. Do you accept this truce or not?"

"You're being sincere about this," Kombu concluded, sensing Raven's honesty.

"Summer's not a Sith anymore, and she's always played as nice as she could," Raven said. "She doesn't want people suffering the way she did." She then pulled a datapad, and threw it at the Wookiee. "If you want to help, all you need to know is on the datapad. Summer and I have some ground rules in this conflict that we expect everyone to play by. First thing, bloodshed in the cities between the Republic and the Empire can't happen again. You're playing by Remnant's laws, so you might wanna brush up on your Aurebesh-to-English dictionaries. If you have to kill each other, do so outside of the safe zones of the kingdoms and colony cities. Second, we don't accept Credits here, so I hope for your sakes you can find some Lien, find a job, or you packed heavy, including food. And most of the animals want to eat you. Third, we have four kingdoms here, each governed by their own laws. I know Atlas will never work with you or the Imperials. The Empire already has a head start appealing to Vale, so you're gonna have to play catch-up if you want a good foothold. And last rule, this one's the personal and most important. If you so much as harm one hair on Ruby, Yang, or their friends, I will not hold back next time." She then sliced behind her, creating a portal in the air. "And don't worry about Naywi. She's surprisingly reasonable, and Summer's taken quite a shine to her." With that, Raven jumped into the portal.

"You shouldn't have antagonized her, Master Tillicru," Yale said as the portal slammed shut.

"Forgive me, Master Shan," Tillicru sighed. "I cannot bring myself to trust the word of a Sith or these Huntsmen. Huntsmen especially... they're disrespectful to actual order and act like hired guns than an actual organized group. Sith, you know they'll betray you. But Huntsmen? We don't know how they work."

"This is one of the few times a Sith has asked for our help," Yale said. "We should at least humor them. Now, what is this the Raven of Nevermore gave us?" Looking at the datapad Raven dropped, she gasped. "Coordinates, perhaps? Why would Natsumi invite us now?"

"Her maternal instinct," Citarhi answered. "I know her... she's putting the threat of Crumma over his distrust of us."

"_This will be interesting to see through,"_ Asasha said. "_She didn't hold me hostage back after Rishi Station. Even if I'm on Coruscant, I want in on that meeting via holo. I wish I could meet this Ruby, though."_

"It could be some kind of trap," Tillicru warned

"Tillicru has a point," Steele said, "Desperate or no, she has no reason to trust us considering we violated your deal by having armed forces on foot here. I'm lucky she didn't just Force Choke me over the HoloNet."

"I understand your concern," Yale said. "But I should remind you that Natsumi's Master, Darth Imperius, was unusual in the sense that she _**kept**_ her word despite many Sith specializing in the art of backstabbing, and Natsumi kept hers, too, as long as nobody tried double-crossing. The fact that she always wanted to start our confrontations with either excited hugs, tea and either sabacc or dejarik rather than flip on her lightsaber because she was a Sith and I was a Jedi said something about Imperius. Other than that weird crush she had on me. Natsumi, if she is anything like her Master, she is telling the truth."

"Still, Master Yale," Kombu pointed out. "The Spirit of Roses is a dangerous woman, and I seen her and her daughter both in action. Both are powerful. We need to be careful."

"I fully expect Natsumi to have something in store for us," Yale nodded. "But for now, an alliance against Darth Crumma would be preferable than fighting two fronts."

"[If Natsumi is siding against Crumma, that is good,]" Mallawarr said. "[But if she is against you all, my Chieftain may not approve of me fighting her.]"

Yale nodded, "I understand your concerns. If it pleases you, we'll listen to what she has to say, and pray she doesn't try anything." The Wookiee nodded. "Alright, here's the plan: we humor Natsumi for now, but keep an eye on her daughter. If she values her daughter's safety, she will not pull any punches, especially with Darth Crumma aware of the girl's existence. But only some of us will monitor Ruby, someone needs to do negotiating with this Council we keep hearing about, while the rest of us go to Natsumi. I will lead the team that goes after Natsumi."

"[I will handle negotiations with this planet with the help of G7 and Lieutenant Lyonvas,]" Grengit suggested. "[After all, if these people cannot understand Ithorese, I will need a translator and a bodyguard just in case.]"

"Damn shame," Steele said. "I was hoping you'd join Havoc, Lyonvas."

"I'm not good enough for Havoc, sir," Lyonvas declined.

"That leaves me in charge of monitor Spec Forces and overseeing the Daughter of the Spirit of Roses," Oriole volunteered.

"Shouldn't a Jedi lead the team that monitors the Daughter of the Spirit of Roses?" Tillicru asked.

"No for good reasons," Oriole said. "If what everyone is saying is true, then she's being protected by a lot of people from her mom's past. A Jedi might spook both the Huntsmen and the civilian population. Furthermore, this planet is mostly dominated by humans, right? Once again no offense, Tillicru, but… you're a Twi'lek. I'm not sure an alien Jedi leading the mission keeping track of Ruby will be a good idea."

"He has a point, Tillicru," Kombu said. "This world has only two types of sentient beings: humans and Faunus, a new species that is part human and part other mammal. Furthermore, if a Jedi-led team came near her, we'd risk antagonizing the Huntsmen."

"I see," Tillicru said. "Still, a Jedi should at least keep an eye on her."

"My Padawan and Master Kombu's are already trying to find a way around that," Citarhi explained.

Steele added, "Also, Havoc Squad has found a lead on one of Natsumi's daughter's friends. I'm beginning to think back-up is what we need right now."

_"Unfortunately, Commander,"_ Asasha said, _"besides fighting the Imperial campaign, we're busy with another threat. For some reason, there are reports of pirates, gangsters, mercenaries, and all other ill folk forming practically an army and attacking Republic-affiliated territories, mainly civilian centers. Although many of these criminals are known Hutt Cartel affiliates, the Cartel is denying responsibility and is doing nothing to convince them to stop. I understand saving Remnant is important, but I can't ignore protecting the people already in the Republic's protection. I have to divert a majority of our forces to guarding our people, and that fleet I gave Grand Master Shan is all I can spare. Surely you understand."_

"I do," Steele replied, "but I don't really like it. Could this be a distraction?"

_"Seems that way,"_ Blu Gil said. _"When we last talked with the Cartel, I couldn't help but notice Bal'rog was missing... and reports say his dreadnaught, the _Star Swamp,_ was last seen heading towards Rishi. Which means one thing: he's heading to make a claim on Remnant."_

"Then we have him to deal with," Oriole groaned. "Figures the Hutts want a piece of Remnant Patogga."

"And you are absolutely sure you can't give us back-up?" Steele asked. "Unlike the Imps, Bal'rog won't care about subtlety or manipulation."

"_That reminds me,"_ Blu Gil said. "_I packed a present for Havoc Squad on board. Lieutenant, has he come online?"_

"He should've been out here by now," Lyonvas answered. Soon enough, metallic footsteps echoed throughout the forest. The group looked to see a white and orange striped war droid towering over them with a Republic symbol on the chest plate.

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: And thus, we have most of our factions set for this conflict. I'm willing to bet a lot of you forgot that I had mentioned the Hutts. And yes, this means a certain pirate who left our lovely Chancellor for dead (and is indirectly responsible for the deaths of Dohet and Sturgas since he could have helped them evacuate) is about to return.

I'm sorry there is a strong lack of Team RWBY and Team JNPR in this chapter. I wanted to focus on the Republic side, since I've been building up the Imperial side early on (Darth Mel, Gray, Crumma, Rumwash and Cipher 13), as well as introduce two other major Huntsmen into the story.

Mont, in my initial writes of this story, has become one of my favorite "normal" Republic people. Also, my plan was to eventually get Artemis and Jadecal in Beacon, but I failed to figure how to get them there. Simple answer: ex-smuggler.

Another fun fact is that this chapter was going to be introducing Weiss and Winter's father LLOYD SCHNEE. However, I'm still working on the kinks in his personality, but I have a grasp on Winter's. Initially cold and formal because of her military training, she does let herself warm-up and slip into a friendly manner with people she likes (mainly Weiss), and the reason she's nice to Taiyang Xiao Long is because he's so goofy, kind, caring, albeit slightly overprotective father figure she could probably see a better version of what a father should be like than her and Weiss' actual father. Meanwhile, Qrow is an unapologetic snarky troll/pervert that deliberately causes trouble to mess with people, in this story taking refuge in audacity by hijacking an Imperial ship, bringing it into town, calling the crew pirates and getting away with it. Speaking of Taiyang... yeah, he still loves both Raven and Summer, has little idea they're alive, and is a gentleman when he can be, and is a goofball at best when he's not... but he'll be a dangerous opponent.

Finally, I realized I've starved you of a fight scene for a while, so yeah, Raven vs. Tillicru. Raven COULD have kept going, but she didn't feel like it, and she was trying to talk to people. Similar to Qrow, she holds back in "play-fights" enough to not kill anyone. However, yes, she CAN use her portals to literally rip her enemies apart. However, I wanted to show how powerful Tillicru, a Jedi Battle Master, really is. He's able to tank a lot of Raven's attacks and keep going, but he lacks patience and is pretty no-nonsense nemesis to anyone he fights. Master Shan actually has to ask him to calm down.

Speaking of Yale Shan, she may not have done much here, but you will eventually see her fight... and chances are unless it's a professional Huntsmen, Cinder, Adam, Crumma, or Darth Mel, it's going to be even more of a curbstomp than Tillicru can manage. Oh, and Oriole Onasi is her brother-in-law. The old guy has more than a few tricks up his sleeve, and a Wookiee mercenary at his back. But these guys all seem to know about Aurelia (originally named Amber). This will be explained later.

Alright, so, the new _Star Wars _having officially opened to public, let's answer the two reviews I have before I forget.

**A.K.b00m:** I really wanted to do Summer's backstory justice. All we know about her in canon is she was on the same team as Taiyang, Raven, and Qrow, was Taiyang's second wife, hides the right side of her face (a fact that I didn't know until the Volume 3 opening), is tiny compared to her cohorts, appears to be the leader of Team STRQ, and disappeared for years and is assumed dead, but we have no body. There's a lot of room for interpretation, and here, it's more than enough to make her a rogue Light Sith from Alderaan, which is in an awkward stage of although Republic-affiliated, has an Imperial presence. This was back during an age of peace between Republic and Empire, by the way. The war discussed here is twenty-four years old.

Velvet is a very popular character in the _RWBY _fanbase. I myself am a sucker for cute shy girls in fiction... and Velvet's the closest thing we're getting. Velvet serves as an older sister-like character to Team RWBY right before their first mission, so she would want to help them as much as she could. Also, Titan's Claw serves as a major point in a lot of the backstory of this setting. It's where Velvet was orphaned, it's where Summer was betrayed and "died", it's the location of the Cliffside alter Ruby goes to visit every now and again, it's where Yang took Ruby to find Raven.

The Grimm. I swear, I did not forget the threat they pose, but I realize that only two, maybe three of the major antagonists I have with this story (Cinder and Crumma confirmed, still iffy on the third) could use them effectively. The problem with the Grimm is that while they're powerful and remind one of _Kingdom Hearts' _Heartless, as a race they're just pretty much generic doomsday villains compared to Cinder and Crumma. Cinder wants to take power from those in charge on Remnant, and is leading a secret war to do so, Crumma may be a homicidal maniac who wants to take over or kill everything in the galaxy, but he and every other _Star Wars _OC villain here is driven by some form of revenge or against Summer, greed, or ambition (in Crumma's case, it's revenge for defying his attempts to "purge the Sith Order of the weak (i.e. non-human/Purebloods and slaves) so they can take over the galaxy" and cutting off his hands and leaving him to die in a fire). I will have battles against them (Raven getting through with one), but I can't promise full-blown Grimm fights that don't involve Crumma. Or Goliaths and Black Dragons, and I would have to use those two sparingly.

My opinion of the lack of seeing the actual damage the Grimm inflicted is that it was disappointing how easily it was written off, but Prof. Goodwitch is really quick at repairing entire areas for full functionality. Also, there were Huntsmen and the Atlesian military on the scene quickly because, as the villains pointed out, Torchwick was forced to go early with the Breach. It would have been a lot worse had the plan gone on time...

**RedemptionWarrior:** Force ghost Dohet is still a master wordsmith, but he's also still as much of a snarker as he was alive, if not more now that he's dead and can't become one with the Force. I think that's the best part about him... Obi-Wan was serious, and Dohet won't let something like death stop him from having a bit of fun being humorous while actually spouting advice.

Coco is a character that entertained me in Volume 2's ending... and her fight scene in Volume 3. She's kicking ass and looking good while doing it. She also serves as a bit of a cool big sis to Velvet here, and definitely one to Team RWBY and Team JNPR. Again, I still want her and Velvet to bond a bit.

As for Jaune... well, he has the Force-slaying blade, is kind of in an awkward love triangle between Pyrrha and Ruby (yes, I'm a Lancaster/RoseArc-shipper, but it's subtle in this story and Arkos seems to be winning, here, let's move on from shipping wars, your ship's probably better than mine, anyway), his parents (mainly his mother) are somehow involved, and he is now marked as the rival to Rumwash. Also, we have reason to believe Ozpin knows about the forged transcripts, yet let him into Beacon anyway. Why the heck wouldn't he have a destiny at this point, even if it's as subtle as a "guardian"?

Yes, "Red Like Roses Part II" is one of my favorite Volume 1 songs. Not only is it the song to which both our A and B teams are formed, but it gives Ruby and Summer some form of backstory. I just had to reference it.

And that Jedi Master (Yale Shan) was just the tip of the iceberg of "we're about to get down to the war part".

Okay, so that is everything. See you all after _The Force Awakens _and have a happy new year! Farewell, my subjects!


	11. Chapter 11: An Opening Galaxy

A/N: Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for the huge delay. I've seen Volume 3's second half... and yeah, I was stunned. This combined with more school stuff, and I haven't been able to update in a while.

Now I have a bit of a confession before we continue: I feel really bad about making Pyrrha my Han Solo of this story.

...Yes, I'm a Lancaster shipper as well as an Arkos shipper. I like Jaune with both Ruby and Pyrrha, and that love triangle thing is going to be my thing akin to the Luke-Leia-Han love triangle in the original trilogy (before the weird fraternal twin story Luke and Leia have came to light... and thank god that's not happening, here). That said, Pyrrha's death in canon hit me very hard, and should a romance between Ruby and Jaune happen in canon (not saying it will, considering who Jaune is based off of), I have that "second love/comfort" vibe from it. Lucky for us, this story is non-canon, so I can do whatever I want to within reason. I'm not saying I will kill off Ruby or Pyrrha, here, to support either ship (again, expect the awkward love triangle) but there may be a few major bodies in the ground before this story is over. Fair warning.

Also, this chapter had to be rewritten several times, especially because I decided this is how I'm coping with another major character's death. Let's just say her role has stepped up. That said, we join three of our heroines doing a bit of reconnaissance...

* * *

**Vale City, Commercial District—18:25**

"And you're absolutely sure you have NO info on these people?" Blake asked, holding up her Scroll to the scared out of his mind Junior. She, Weiss, and Yang, all three of them wearing their black and white Intruder, SnowPea, and Hunter outfits, respectively, sat at the bar with Junior mixing drinks.

The reason he was scared, of course, was that Yang decided to contact him, and wasn't here to pay back her tab this Sunday night.

"Well, I don't know who exactly those guys are," the club owner with mafia ties denied. "But I recognize the symbol and I know a Red Hex job when I see it. Keep their faces covered, moved in a paramilitary fashion, hit target quickly and get in and out, remove any traces that could lead to an arrest. If they moved that guy who tore up half the city, they knew everyone would be occupied with either the hospital or the press conference, especially with that Sith lady, not some butcher's market, and they're already out of Vale by now. Nothing like that Quay guy who was operating in Atlas and making a fortune stealing Dust straight from the Dust capital of the world. Gutsy pirate, that guy was, then he vanished."

"Red Hex?" Weiss asked, somewhat slowly, looking up from her own Scroll. "...I know that name."

"Probably should, Ice Queen," Junior said. "You look like you're Atlesian."

"Hey!" Weiss scowled.

"He's not wrong about the Atlas part," Yang said. "But what does that have to do with anything, and who are these Red Hex guys?"

Junior, cleaning a glass, explained, "Well, the criminal underworld calls them the 'Red Hex' because their symbol is a red hexagon with arrow symbols. Until the other day, I thought they were small time smuggling ring that dealt with drugs, money counterfeiting, advanced weaponry, and occasionally murder, usually in an overkill fashion to make sure there's not enough to bury and with laser weapons, but they're nothing like the White Fang. In fact, they seemed to have a strong dislike of Faunus to the point of having no Faunus members. They don't have a big pull here in Vale, but my boys ran into them a few times, most of it being messy. They have a bigger pull in Mistral's underworld, and I didn't know they were of some intergalactic empire that could take over the world. And some of them are moving in where the White Fang left open... thanks to you guys and that Breach."

"All the more reason to hate the Empire," Yang said.

Blake complained, "If they can find a way to make lemonade out of a Grimm invasion lemons and scare the heck out of the planet with just an army, then I'd hate to see what Darth Mel could do with a crime gang."

"Oh, I could do plenty of things," a female voice said. The group looked to see Darth Mel sitting down. "I once killed my rival, his major players of his power base, and about twenty Jedi Knights between the two of us with six viles of experimental animal pheromones, a droid virus, and a high yield bomb. I really have to thank Grey for that last suggestion. Really allowed us to win the Battle of Malachor II with my rival dead."

Blake looked at the Dark Councilor's refuge in audacity by appearing in public after her speech explaining the galactic community and scaring the crap out of the Vale Council. "...Is this... really happening?"

"You know, as a Dark Councilor, I should demand you kneel in my presence," Mel replied, "but I don't own this planet... yet. Still, what you all are talking about is new to me." She looked at the menu, and sighed. "Forgive me, I can't really read this 'Remnant English' text. First order of business when this planet finally becomes an Imperial world, teach the lot of you all how to read Aurebesh. Until then, what does that say?"

"Strawberry Sunrise...?" Yang offered.

"Hm," Mel mused. Turning to Junior, she waved her hand in his face. "You will give me one Strawberry Sunrise... and put it on the blonde's tab."

"I will give you a Strawberry Sunrise, and put it on Blondie's tab," Junior repeated, proceeding to do just that. Yang stared at the Sith Lord, who smirked at the minor victory.

"What, I'm a member of the Dark Council, you're surprised I do this?" Mel said. "Besides, in my first week here, I've lost a shuttle, an entire warship, two Mantis dropships, a platoon, a strike team, twelve prototype war droids, several hundred more battle droids, two experimental Nexu, and two apprentices to this planet already, and while I put the fear of whatever deity you follow in this kingdom's leaders, with the Republic ships recently landing with an ambassador, I may soon lose even _**that **_foothold. I want something to go my way once, and a drink isn't exactly something you can't afford."

"Ambassador?" Weiss asked. "The Republic? Wait, you're an evil overlord! Why are you here and telling us this? In fact, shouldn't you try to be killing us!?"

"I want to relax a bit planetside before trying to figure out more ways to convince Remnant to join the Empire," the Sith Lord replied. "As for why I'm telling you this, it's because despite the vast power difference between us and your reasonable distrust of me, I respect you all enough to make a vow to not lie to each other's face, and with Natsumi's interest in you all and your companionship with her child, you're far more useful to me alive. I will not tell you everything, because I wish to keep some of my secrets, but I won't lie to you if you won't lie to me. Besides I want you to inform Ozpin of how thoroughly screwed he is now if he doesn't take up my offer to work together to defeat the Emperor. What with Yale Shan and Master Tillicru in play." The three Huntresses-in-training looked at her in confusion. Mel explained, "Yale Shan is the most powerful Jedi alive, and Tillicru is a Jedi Battlemaster, the type of people that one does not simply face in combat. One of them would be enough to take your entire group, young ladies. Both are suicide, and even I wouldn't do battle with them."

"That explains the power Ruby and Pyrrha both sensed," Blake realized. "If Yale Shan's that strong that we could feel her before she even got on Remnant... we're screwed if we face her."

"We can take care of ourselves," Yang assured her.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Mel replied. "Also, something else you should know, girls..." Mel then was handed her drink. "I didn't know of the existence of Red Hex until now." The three looked at her in surprise. "If I did, I would have already had made proper use of them by now, wouldn't I? It's something you should consider." She then took a sip of her drink.

"Okay, so, we have no idea what Red Hex is doing and you don't know either," Blake said. "But your rogue apprentice is with them."

"Rumwash was never my immediate apprentice, but I have to deal with him," Mel said. "That is, unless you want to. You seem to be interested in it."

"You're frustrating," Weiss said.

"I'm Sith," Mel replied. "We're always frustrating. Anyway, know my promise that I will not lie to you if you don't lie to me."

"Why is it that you want us on your side so badly?" Blake asked. "And why do you want your Emperor dead?"

"Our Emperor is a destructive sociopath who is continuing this war to the point that our own people are getting fed up with the Sith regime," Mel confessed. "As for why I need you kids alive and on my side, I need Natsumi, and she seems to have taken a shining to you. Granted, you're all the companions of her daughter, so that's a plus."

"Hey, Ruby's my half-sister, and Summer's my step-mom," Yang corrected.

"If your father is who I think he is, I am not surprised and incredibly jealous of Natsumi," Mel countered. Yang groaned.

"Why is it every single girl Ruby and I meet who has met or heard of Dad wants him?

"Oh come now, he's hot," Mel confessed. Getting up, she said, "One last thing, ladies... I hate to say it, but at the rate things are escalating, war on Remnant is inevitable."

"War?" Yang questioned. "You know something?"

"Between powerful Jedi and Sith all arriving, multiple Republic and Imperial soldiers armed and ready, and the tension I can feel above and around this city because your White Fang hasn't made a move since that Breach of yours over a week ago," Mel said, "this planet is about to be engulfed in distrust and violence. Before you three think like heroes that you can stop it before it begins, however, nothing you do will prevent it. Not even I can stop this war, either. It's destiny... in fact, you acting prematurely will actually speed up the process, and runs the risk of you being pariahs and scapegoats to your planet."

"How is it destiny!?" Weiss nearly yelled. "You're saying that people will die before it's over!"

"Child, my direct boss is a sociopathic cybernetic monster, and the Jedi are quite reasonably scared of the Huntsmen after eight of them kicked their collective asses twenty years ago," Mel answered. "No matter how hard we'll try to delay it, war is inevitable. And innocent people, no matter how hard you fight, will still die. I feel in order to save as much of your people as humanly possible, your leaders and especially you all will have to pick a side in order to survive, because staying neutral will get you killed faster. If you choose the Republic, I will respect your decision, but know that you're picking an unstable democracy that can't live up to its promises, and that it will force me to bring my power down upon you. It will be nothing personal, of course. But if you want my help, and possibly my knowledge..." She placed a card on the table, sliding it to Yang. "You'll have to talk to Lady Himura about translating the holo-frequency. And tell her that I'm supporting her campaign for Empress."

"Empress...?" the three Huntresses and Junior all asked while Mel walked out.

Minutes later, the three older females of Team RWBY left the bar. "So, that was strange meeting a Big Bad in public," Yang said while they got on _Bumblebee_ and Weiss got into the sidecar Yang had attached. "And what's this about Mom being Empress?"

"We're talking about Mrs. Rose, right? Not your birth mom?" Blake asked. Yang nodded. "Okay, between that, Darth Mel apparently not knowing Red Hex and her saying a war is coming, we have a lot on our plate. Where should we start?"

"...We have to catch these Red Hex criminals," Weiss muttered. "We just have to. I... I need to figure this out."

"You haven't been okay since we went to the tower," Blake remembered their visit to the building. "In fact, this seems familiar..." Weiss went in, requested access to files the Schnee Dust Company had on the Republic and Empire's logos. and was denied until Weiss used an override code. The fact that she was denied access to something that seemed random was one thing, the fact that there was a vast amount of information on these two groups was another.

"If these people were in Atlas years ago, and working for the Empire since," the heiress asked herself aloud, staring at the documents on her Scroll as they drove back towards Beacon, "could Father have known about this... and he didn't bother telling me or Winter...?"

"Huh?" Yang asked. "You wanna tell us something, Weiss?"

"...Later!" Weiss answered. "I need to do some reading and think about this a bit!" She looked back at her Scroll. '(Father... what in the world did you do to anger the Empire!? And did Mother suffer because of it!?)'

"Looks like we're going to have a new set of criminals to go after," Blake concluded.

"And hopefully just this one for a while," Yang smirked.

* * *

_**The Star Swamp—**_**Bridge—Orbit Above Remnant―21:26**

A giant, brown and dark green worm-like Hutt relaxed on his massive dreadnaught, watching a young red Twi'lek girl who was 16 years old (in human years) clad as in a black and blue midriff-baring top, a metal collar on the back of her neck and a long flowing black skirt that had a slit up the right side perform a dance. The girl looked incredibly uncomfortable doing this, but the Hutt was eyeing her, and she didn't want to anger him. Eventually, she finished her dance, and bowed, not daring to look at Bal'rog, and silence engulfed the bridge. Everyone but the dancer looked at Bal'rog, wondering what he would say. The dancer winced in fear… but the Hutt laughed in approval. She awkwardly smiled, and walked away from the Hutt.

"[Solvina, you truly do entertain me,]" the Hutt grinned. "[But I suppose I should move onto business. You are dismissed for the evening.]"

Four humanoid creatures approached him. One was none other than Norman Quay, ready for a fight. He looked at the planet in view, recalling the many jobs he pulled throughout the planet, and now, how he'd go about getting his revenge on the Spirit of Roses and the Raven of Nevermore.

Behind him was a reptile-like creature with brown-green scales, black pupils, and carrying a huge two-handed sword on its heavily armored back with a blaster huge pistol at its side. But what else was noticeable was the collection of silver and black cylinders hanging from his belt. There were at least ten of them of different shapes and length.

The third was a female that was nearly human if not for the four horns on her bald head, and her red skin tone, and the face paint that formed a pair of crosses over her yellow eyes, and a staff on her back and was wearing brown and yellow armor. She was another Zabrak, like Steele, but different with the skull symbol on her heavy-looking armor. On her back was a shock staff designed for fighting lightsabers, and at her hip was a blaster.

The last one, however, was clearly younger than the others. He wore blue and white armor that looked rather heavily similar to the woman, but the T-shaped visor in his helmet was obvious. There was some kind of blaster pistol equipped to the right side of his back, a pair of short swords at his side, and a high-tech pack on his back. On either of his armored wrists were two gun-barrel shaped objects alongside several other gadgets. This young man was clearly loaded for war.

"[Ah,]" the Hutt grinned, "[Quay, you're joining the hunt, too?]"

"You kidding, mighty Bal'rog?" Quay asked. "This is personal, but I can't say no to the millions of Credits you're throwing around for one kid... maybe two if you're really interested making this sweeter and let me hit the Raven of Nevermore while we're at it."

"[Perhaps I could use two more slaves instead of one,]" the Hutt mused. "[Or an entire planet full of them.]"

"So what exactly is the job?" the young helmeted man asked. Both criminals looked at him. "Details, please."

"[Oh, right, forgot you all were here,]" Bal'rog said. "[It should be a simple job for a little hunter like yourself. You're to find the Spirit of Roses' daughter on this planet, and capture her alive. If dead, I'll still pay but not as much alive. Be warned, I have no idea how far into her training the little Sith-spawn is.]"

"Alright, one girl, alive is preferred," the younger man said. "Got it. I'll prepare to disembark." He then turned around and walked away.

"What's that kid's problem?" Quay asked the other two. "I thought Mandalorians like you and he would be jumping at the chance to get paid for violence."

"I guess Cinca's kid doesn't like small talk," the horned female shrugged. "Kebiin did keep to himself for most of the time on our way here. Still, we Mandalorians do want the thrill of taking on a powerful foe like the Spirit of Roses. Especially considering how personal this is."

"Not if I get her first, miss devil," the man said, looking the woman down. The horned female rolled her eyes. The brown-green lizard stepped in between them.

"[No, she will be a part of my score,]" the creature said. "[Then the Spirit of Roses, once angered, will be worth extra points.]"

"[No she won't!]" another voice spoke up. Another reptilian humanoid approached, wearing a rather unique set of battle armor and having spikes protruding from his face. "[This battle of honor will be fought by the Morgukai led by me, Grus Tath. We've fought and killed Jedi before you started being a hunter, Blaakt. But these Huntsmen might be in a different league. It will be our honor to knock more Force-users down a peg.]"

"[We'll see who kills the most Force-users, then, Grus!]" Blaakt Nussy growled. "[This girl will die by my sword, and I will collect her heart as a trophy, add her lightsaber to my collection, and points to please the Scorekeeper!]"

"[No, she will die by my staff! And I will scatter her remains across this world!]" The two's glares seemed to spark lightning between them. Solvina meekly popped up between them.

"[E-excuse me, gentlemen,]" the Twi'lek said in Huttese, "[but the bounty is really worth of a reward alive… so killing isn't... recommended.]" Both reptilian humanoids glowered at her, causing her to shrink away.

"Oh don't scare the help," Quay chided. "I know none of us are above killing children, especially Force-sensitive children, but that little Twi'lek is entertaining and helpful with guests."

"She's right, though," the Mandalorian Zabrak said. "The girl is meant to be live bait. You can waste time killing everyone on the planet, but she's no good to me dead. Beaten to an inch of her life and then frozen in carbonite, yes. I'll see if this girl is any good like her legendary mother. And get my honor back."

"Well, good luck, you lot," Quay waved off. "I'm getting off here, maybe give Kebiin a ride so he doesn't get shot too soon drawing her out. Bal'rog, have those Credits warm and ready to deposit in my account, and see if you can double it if I get the Raven of Nevermore's daughter. No promises that I won't torture them a little bit."

"[Make sure the Spirit's daughter is completely in-tact!]" the Hutt insisted. "[And no using either of them as pleasure slaves! I may be a ruthless crime lord, Quay, but I have some standards!]"

"That's mildly disappointing," Quay frowned. "And a bit of confusing. If you don't condone that, then why the—"

"[I like the way humanoid females dance,]" Bal'rog answered. "[Now, be gentle with the retrieval. She's no good to me in pieces.]"

"Oh trust me, she'll be whipped into shape," Quay said.

Bal'rog chuckled while Quay left, "[Ah, this will be glorious.]" The Hutt turned to the crew, looking at another Twi'lek slave girl, this one with blue skin. "[Let Quay and the little hunter off here, but prepare to find somewhere warm to set up business. Also, prepare to broadcast to an open channel.]" The Twi'lek pressed a button near her, which activated a large holo-terminal. "[All who serve mighty Bal'rog, fortune awaits! An enemy of the universe, the Spirit of Roses, dares call this planet her home! Worse, is she dares to reproduce! A daughter! Now, I understand your urge to kill her… but I really want her brought to me ALIVE! Whoever does this task will be awarded with 10,000,000 Credits! If you wish for this fortune, come to these coordinates on the planet of Remnant! Let's make sure this daughter never has another peaceful rest ever again!]"

* * *

**Beacon Academy, Vale—14:02 the Following Day**

Ruby, after returning all of the borrowed books, worked on her paper. Two days, five quick meals, two showers, and a day of classes later, with Weiss, Yang, Blake, and Team JNPR each taking shifts to make sure she actually wrote the paper, finished, collapsing near her computer in the Lounge after Blake left once it was printed to help revise and edit the essay with Weiss (when the heiress wasn't distracted with her own reading into Red Hex). Team JNPR walked in to see Ruby asleep at the computer. Nora was prevented from laughing aloud by a quick look from Ren.

"Poor Ruby," Pyrrha said, scooting the sleeping reaper's chair back and picking Ruby up before handing her bridal style to Jaune.

"Huh!?" Jaune asked.

"Sorry," Pyrrha said, typing on the computer to log Ruby out, "but somebody needs to make sure Ruby gets into bed, and I'm going to be carrying her Scroll so she can get in her room. I kind of need my hands free."

"Uh, fine," Jaune nodded. "Are you sure we shouldn't just wake her up?" Ruby's arms wrapped around the knight's right shoulder and she snuggled into his cloth covered chest. "Are you really sure?" the blushing knight added.

"Jaune," Pyrrha said, not looking at him, "she's tired. She has been working almost the entire weekend, she didn't get a lot of sleep last night or the night before thanks to having to channel her Aura while she slept to protect herself from more psychic attacks, which takes serious concentration… and we have the Jedi, Sith, and who knows what else coming. She at least needs some proper rest."

"I think he's more worried that Ruby's got the snuggles when she sleeps," Nora said in a sing-song tune. Pyrrha stopped what she was doing, and noticed her fellow redhead cuddling Jaune. Pyrrha composed herself, silently wishing she and Ruby suddenly switched positions, before turning back to Ruby's computer, and finishing her process. She pulled out Ruby's Scroll, and put it in her skirt's pocket (as short as they were, the school uniform skirts were convenient enough to have pockets). "Don't worry," Nora teased, "Ren and I won't interrupt."

"I'll keep her here," Ren promised, leading the excitable pink Viking away from the Amazon and knight. "This is a good place to study, anyway." This left Jaune in an incredibly awkward position of having his admittedly attractive female partner staring at him while he carried his fellow rookie team leader who was an adorable fifteen-year old girl and a sleep hugger. If Jaune didn't know any better—and he was pretty sure he did—it was like he was in a love triangle with two red themed girls.

But he was certain that couldn't be the case. Ruby herself may have been his first real friend (and arguably his second best female friend after Pyrrha) and was certainly cute, but Ruby was close to everyone, being essentially the baby of the bunch and most friendly once gotten out of her comfort zone (although Yang was also friendly). Pyrrha may train him in order to help him catch up to the rest of them, was a stunner of a woman, and may have wanted him to go with her to the dance, but she was far out of his league in terms of beauty and strength. Ruby too, being somewhat of an adorable and fun-loving prodigy as well.

However, the poor blonde boy didn't really know that Pyrrha, as they left their new hangout, was growing slightly jealous of the little red reaper. Pyrrha composed herself, though... Jaune was a nice guy, and it wasn't like he was taking advantage of this. If anything, he looked just as uncomfortable about the sudden way Ruby was hugging him as she felt watching the scene. And Ruby didn't intend to do this, did she?

"…Uh, so…" Jaune chuckled in a desperate attempt to change the topic, "Ruby's mom is interesting… her being an undead former Sith Lord and all. And Yang's sounds pretty cool, if slightly scary."

"Yeah," Pyrrha said as they entered the elevator. As it closed, Pyrrha continued, "While I'm not exactly yet sure what the difference between the Jedi and Sith are besides the Jedi seem good and the Sith seem bad, I do know Ruby has it rough with them both and the Republic and Empire after her. We should probably take a mission to Vale to do some reconnaissance… preferably with someone who is skilled in fighting Force-users."

"Like who?" Jaune asked.

"Who else?" Pyrrha asked, hitting the button to the floor that had the freshman dorms. "Either Prof. Ozpin, Prof. Goodwitch, Prof. Port, General Ironwood, Ruby and Yang's parents, or Prof. Branwen. However, Prof. Ozpin is probably dealing with a lot of grief from the Council right now as a result of the Battle of Vale and the Breach, Prof. Goodwitch is most likely helping him, General Ironwood is preoccupied with increasing Vale's security, and no offense to our Grimm Studies teacher but none of us here want to listen to Prof. Port's glory days and how he somehow shot a Sith in the face. Ruby's Mom's busy with the Jedi and Sith right now. We have no way to get in contact with Yang's Mom. And none of us have ever met Mr. Xiao Long. So, we're gonna go with Prof. Branwen."

"No offense to Ruby's uncle," Jaune replied, "but why would he want to train us? I mean, he's actually scary, and he kind of smells like he broke into a brewery."

"Well, he offered Ruby's mother to watch over her until her immediate business was dealt with," Pyrrha said. "And as crass as he is, he trained Ruby for years into the warrior prodigy she is, and he's also a master swordsman. I'm just as skilled as a fighter as Ruby, Jaune, but I can only take you so far on my own with swordplay. You and I both need a professional Huntsman or Huntress to train us for this kind of stuff. I'll try to convince him."

When Pyrrha opened the door to the elevator, she spotted a strange sight. A brown haired young man around her age and around 5'7" with crystal blue eyes that seemed eerily calm, a crescent moon shaped scar adorned his right cheek, and wearing a black long-sleeve shirt under a blue open vest, thick glove on his left hand, and black pants with an odd skull belt buckle (it looked like an ox or something), was leaning on the wall while Team CRDL's members stood near him.

"So, new transfer student?" Cardin asked the scarred teen. "Where are you from? Mistral? Because that cute redhead girl said she and her friend weren't."

"I'm from Dxun," the boy replied.

"Dxun?" Cardin asked. "That's not someplace I've heard of."

"Because it's not someplace you would have heard of in this part of the galaxy," the boy explained. "It's technically a jungle moon orbiting the planet of Onderon filled with dangerous predators that would rip apart many a warrior… kind of like this planet, but the ecosystem here is more varied and you have far more secure settlements than most Mandalorian encampments." The four members of CRDL blinked at the remark, while Pyrrha and Jaune exchanged concerned looks.

"Okay, another space weirdo," Russell shrugged. "Don't know what's up with alien invasions coming to Remnant."

"You'd know if this was a Mandalorian invasion," the new boy said. "Lucky for you, the Mandalorians already respect your culture enough. We may butt heads with you, but we consider you warriors of worth when eight of your own bested some of the best of our warriors in our Great Hunt. So, I'm simply here."

"So, what brings you to Vale? Are you competing in the Vytal Festival's Tournament? No real stopping you."

"Tournament?" the boy asked, interested for the first time in the conversation. "What kind of tournament?"

"Uh, a fighting tournament, what else?" Cardin replied. "Young Huntsmen, Huntresses, and others fight in the tournament to see who the best in all of Remnant is. Which is gonna be us." The boy pondered.

"That sounds like a worthy challenge," the boy mused, "but I have other business to attend to, first. Have you ever met a Sith woman by the moniker, 'the Spirit of Roses'?"

"What?" Cardin questioned. "No."

"Haar'chak," the boy groaned. "I was told from people in the city that her daughter is at this school."

"Well, no idea about the Spirit of Roses," Cardin shrugged. "But there is a girl named 'Ruby Rose' here. Two years younger than the other first-years, actually kind of cute, leader of Team RWBY, redhead, carries a giant sniper rifle scythe. She and I fought once… she's lucky she's quick, because I would have creamed her otherwise."

"That is the best I have to work with," the boy deadpanned. "Well, where is she?" Sky pointed towards Jaune and Pyrrha, the former still carrying Ruby. "I see," the boy nodded. "Ret'urcye."

"Uh, okay?" Cardin shrugged, walking away to get something to eat before the cafeteria closed for to prepare for dinner. He was followed by the other members of Team CRDL while the boy in blue approached Jaune and Pyrrha.

"Um, hi?" Jaune asked. "You're a Mandalorian?" Recalling Summer's stories on Mandalorians, he said, "Um, no offense, but I was picturing some giant fierce-looking alien."

"Su cuy'gar," the boy greeted. "Finally, a person who knows of my people. Oh, and it's alright if you assumed all Mandalorians are aliens, we accept all species into our group, regardless of origin, but are united by our love for battle and our honor as warriors. At least, that's what outsiders know of us."

"Um, well… we sort of know you," Jaune said. "So, you're from outer space."

"Yes," the boy nodded. "I am born Kebiin, raised in Clan Ordo. And you, sir?"

"I'm Jaune Arc," the knight said. "Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it." The young Mandalorian raised an eyebrow, although Pyrrha had let out a giggle at Jaune's attempt to play himself off as suave.

"Do they, Jaune of Clan Arc?" Kebiin asked. Jaune would have scratched his head, but Ruby's sleeping mumbling reminded him what he was doing.

"Um, well…" Jaune chuckled, "not… really… but they will." Kebiin looked at Pyrrha, who was still giggling.

"Are you this 'Ruby Rose' that the di'kut was talking about?" Pyrrha composed herself at the strange insult.

"Di'kut?" Pyrrha repeated, an eyebrow raised and her hand going to her pocket.

"It translates from Mando'a—the language of my people—into Basic as 'idiot'. He didn't exactly seem bright. It also translates to 'jerk'."

"That makes sense and is slightly less offensive than I thought," Pyrrha nodded, releasing her Scroll. "But anyway… no, I'm afraid I'm not Ruby. I'm Pyrrha Nikos." She looked at Ruby, who was still sleeping peacefully, which Kebiin picked up by process of elimination. She stood in between Jaune holding Ruby, and Kebiin. "But I will not let you harm Ruby if I can help it."

"I wasn't about to fight right now," Kebiin said. "She looks as if she just fought a major battle and needs her rest."

"She did just complete a torturous research paper and classes," Jaune agreed.

"I'm not sure what a 'research paper' is, but I feel that it is a dangerous foe. There is no honor in facing an opponent that cannot fight back or defend themselves. Furthermore, I lack immediate access to my armor right now since this facility has a 'no fighting on school grounds outside of combat class' policy, whatever that is, and I wish to honor that."

"So you're… not about to go after Ruby?" Jaune asked.

"No," Kebiin shook his head. "At least, not at this moment. But eventually, when she is ready, we will have our duel. But she and you all should be warned: Bal'rog the Hutt has placed a bounty on her head. In exchange for her live capture, he will reward 10,000,000 Credits. Chump change for a Hutt, but not everyone knows that. I just wish for you to know that things will be interesting." He then walked away, letting Jaune and Pyrrha look at each other. Could he be the mercenary that Dohet warned them about? At least the Hutt sounded like the crime lord they needed to be wary of.

"Sounds like we have another problem," Ozpin's voice spoke up. The two partners looked to see Ozpin coming from the opposite direction of Kebiin's retreating form. "As if this couldn't get worse, a Mandalorian here is rather shocking. But I take it that Team RWBY has told you everything?" Jaune and Pyrrha nodded. "Good, so we can speak freely while we're alone."

"I still was expecting a big freaky alien," Jaune said.

"They're more of a warrior culture than an alien race," Ozpin corrected. "If anything, Huntsmen are a mixture of their culture and the Jedi. Most Mandalorians actually came to respect the Huntsmen and Remnant in general. Still, if what he said about Ruby is true… then that girl in your hands is in even bigger danger than I thought."

"Still, it's just one guy," Jaune nervously added. "Sure, he's some type of mercenary, but it's not like he can blow up the world, is it?"

"No, but what he said just might do it," Ozpin began. As the three walked towards Team RWBY's dorm, he explained, "Bal'rog the Hutt… he is currently one of Summer's oldest living nemeses. Her foster father, a professional smuggler working for Imperius, crossed his business several times. When Summer officially graduated from Beacon, Bal'rog had Summer's father captured, and noticing the outstanding Imperial bounty on Summer, tried to have her killed. She personally destroyed his personal pleasure barge, ruined his business ventures, and Peter nearly killed him but didn't at Summer's request when he informed her of the only way to save her father was to earn plenty of Credits in the Great Hunt. I guess he decided to hold a massive grudge. While Hutts themselves are greedy, ruthless slugs, but they didn't build a galactic criminal empire by being stupid and poor. Bal'rog may have crossed Summer first, but he will not let anything get in the way of his revenge. Ruby, as far as he is concerned, is his insurance policy. But she's far from helpless… when she's not cuddling up to you, Mr. Arc."

"Huh?" Jaune asked. He then noticed Ruby was still holding him. "Oh, yeah. It's a good thing Yang's not here right now… otherwise—"

"I'd kill you?" Yang asked, poking her head from behind him and Pyrrha, wearing her regular outfit after a workout in the school's combat room. Both yelped as she waved, "Hello~!"

"Oh, Yang!" Jaune nervously chuckled while Ozpin walked away. "Um… this is totally not what it looks like."

"So it ISN'T you carrying my sleeping sister to my room?"Yang asked, taking the reaper from him and placed Ruby on her back. Ruby wrapped her arms around Yang's neck, who explained, "Sorry, I should have let people know that Ruby is a sleep hugger whenever she's deep in sleep and around people she likes. She apparently got it from Mom. Don't worry… this is totally harmless, and it means she likes you. I'm not going to go on a violent warpath on anybody who is nice enough to look after Ruby while she sleeps. But if you would have _**tried**_ to take advantage of this and would be a 'hit-and-quit'… then you'd have to talk to Ember Celica. Or her mom's laser sword and sniper rifle. Or my mom's giant dimension-cutting Dust katana. Or Uncle Qrow's sword-scythe-shotgun. Or Dad's fists, blade gauntlets, bow and arrows, especially because he's coming tomorrow. Take your pick."

"And threat of being mauled by your entire family is acknowledged," Jaune gulped. "Wait, your dad's coming?"

"Yeah, he texted me about it," Yang smirked. "Coincidentally, Weiss said her big sister is coming. Can't wait to meet her."

"More members of your families?" Pyrrha asked. Yang grinned. "Whoa… Taiyang Xiao Long. He hasn't been seen fight in years by the public in the general area of Vale."

"So, we now have a Mandalorian and two Jedi at school," Yang said right as they reached their dorms.

"Wait, the Jedi are here!?" Pyrrha nearly yelled. Yang placed a finger on Pyrrha's mouth, before looking around. She then pointed to the sight of Neptune and Sun talking to Artemis and Jadecal, clad in Beacon uniforms (Jadecal wearing a pair of white tights beneath her skirt, and being similar to Weiss in terms of bust, while Artemis added his lightsaber belt to his uniform).

"So, new transfer students, huh?" Neptune asked. "Us too… but only for the tournament. Are you guys from Atlas?"

"Um, no to the Atlas part," Jadecal said. "But we are students of a sort."

"And what is this tournament you spoke of?" Artemis asked.

"The Vytal Festival's fighting tournament?" Sun answered. "You know, the competition's going to be fierce."

"Do you have any idea of who is competing?" Jadecal asked. "Not that I really condone death matches."

"Sweetheart," Neptune assured her, "don't know what school you're from, but most tournaments have a degree of control in limiting full-contact matches, so it's really rare if anyone dies, let alone gets seriously injured."

"Anyway, I have a few clues," Sun bragged. "First off, yours truly will be turning heads. There's a strange Atlesian girl—Penny, I believe her name is—who said she is going to be there according to Ruby. I know one of this school's best students is gonna be in it. You guys hear of Pyrrha Nikos?"

"Sort of," Artemis answered. "Do you know about her?"

"Oh trust me, she's one of THE best fighters in Beacon," Sun answered. "She's basically a living legend." Pyrrha slightly frowned at the implications that people were all putting her on a pedestal again. "And I'm personally willing to bet money that Team RWBY's going to send someone to the finals."

"I see," Jadecal nodded.

"So," Neptune questioned, "are you two dating, or are you free?"

"No," Artemis and Jadecal quickly answered. Yang, meanwhile, slid her Scroll to access her room, and quickly hauled Ruby inside, pulling Jaune and Pyrrha inside. While the two Padawans looked up at the door closing, they saw nothing.

"Well, anyway," Sun said, "you'll love Beacon. It's amazing."

"We'll take your word for it," Artemis smiled. The two Jedi walked away, leaving Sun and Neptune confused.

"So, those were the Jedi," Sun said. "Don't see what the real threat is."

"Chances are, we're missing it," Neptune said. "Sure, that Artemis guy has looks, but he's not... well, me. Still, I have a feeling the threat remains. Should we talk to Scarlet and Sage about this?"

"Like we weren't?" Sun said. "Who knows? Maybe the Republic won't cause trouble."

* * *

**Vale City—Industrial District—15:24**

"Lisa Lavender reporting live from downtown Vale outside City Hall," the white haired reporter began. "Just days ago, we had confirmation that the universe has a lot more sentient creatures than we thought. However, we did not know just how diverse it was. I'm, of course, talking about these extra-terrestrials behind me." She turned around, revealing the annoyed Wookiee mercenary, the curious Ithorian ambassador, the surprised protocol droid, and the cyborg Republic soldier who was genuinely trying to figure out if he should be amused.

"Oh my," G7-1T gasped. "Is this an interview? I didn't know this planet had news that wasn't connected to the HoloNet."

"Sure, we can make it an interview!" Lisa answered, a bright smile on her face. "I haven't talked to any of our foreign visitors, yet!"

"Um, Lisa," the cameraman asked, "are you sure this is a good idea? One of them has a crossbow… and a hi-tech sword as big as you. Another is a super soldier. And I have no idea about the robot or the… um… other guy. One wrong word, and they could just rip us apart."

Lyonvas interjected, "I'm actually a regular soldier slash bodyguard slash cyborg, and Wookiees are normally friendly when they're not angry. Right, Mallawarr?"

"[Except when I'm fighting... or annoyed,]" the Wookiee grunted.

"I'm actually surprised you're not freaking out about this," Lyonvas said to the reporter.

"You guys aren't the weirdest or scariest thing to have happened or appeared in this city these past couple weeks," Lisa said. "Also, we have the Vytal Festival coming up. Weird, amazing stuff is bound to happen!"

"[Ah, yes,]" Grenit recalled. "[You apparently had an invasion from these creatures called 'Grimm' followed by an attack by the Sith Empire, yes?]"

"...Um, did he say something?" the reporter asked.

"Oh, the ambassador heard from our Jedi friends that your town has been attacked by these Grimm creatures and the Sith Empire, and was asking if it was true," G7-1T translated.

"Wow, you understand him?" Lisa gasped. "And he's an ambassador?"

"Yes, Miss Lavender," G7 nodded. "Allow me to introduce ourselves. I am Gee-seven One-tee, translator and steward droid. This Ithorian is Ambassador Grenit, representing the Galactic Republic's diplomatic interests in your planet. The Wookiee is Mallawarr, an elite mercenary hired by the Republic. And this soldier is Lieutenant Duncan Lyonvas, a Republic soldier who has agreed to serve as the ambassador's bodyguard."

"Wow, that is amazing!" Lisa said. "Well, to answer your question, Ambassador, yes, we did just have these attacks. Vale is still recovering, but we'll persevere. Anyway, if you all don't mind, we've heard some things about the Sith Empire. Could you fill us in on information about the Galactic Republic?"

"[Of course, young lady,]" Grenit smiled. "[I was on my way to explain the Republic to this city's ruling body when these people appeared.]" Lisa looked behind the Ambassador after the translation to see the Atlesian military blocking the entrance to City Hall, weapons trained at the group and completely confused by the general's sudden "Hold your fire" order. "[Anyway, I suppose I can wait to get a meeting. In the meantime, I will be honored to answer your questions.]"

"Oh, yes," Lisa mused. "Where do I begin?"

* * *

**Beacon Academy―Courtyard―16:00**

Artemis and Jadecal continued walking, the former pulling out a holo-communicator. He pressed a button, and it showed Citarhi. "Master Citarhi, we're officially in Beacon."

"_Good to know that Captain Mont really is good at getting in places she shouldn't,"_ the Cathar Jedi said. "_Alright, remember your mission... observe and report any findings back to Admiral Onasi and Captain Mont."_

"Findings on what, Master?"

"_Well, anything noteworthy, of course,"_ Citarhi said. "_How Huntsmen are trained, how different ones use the Force, what makes the Faunus so special, any potential allies we may have among both the instructors and the students... you know, the usual behind enemy lines sort of stuff."_

"We're behind the enemy lines?" Jadecal asked.

"_Not exactly, Padawan," _Citarhi corrected. "_Master Tillicru may be overly paranoid and rude about it, but he does make a strong case that the Huntsmen are, by all means, a potential threat to the Republic if taken off-world. We're to treat them at best like the Gray Jedi, at worst something to keep our lightsabers at the ready for. Not that I personally think we have to get ready to go to war against them, but there is a possibility."_

"Well," Artemis reported, "there is apparently some kind of fighting tournament soon approaching called the 'Vytal Festival'. It is apparently a worldwide event."

"_Which means that the planet's leaders could soon be all in one place at the same time,"_ Citarhi mused. "_If the Empire knows of this, there could be a real chance that they could be in danger of being killed by the Empire, be persuaded, or be targeted by this White Fang group."_

"Are you certain, Master, that the Spirit of Roses will not be angered about us being here?" Jadecal questioned.

"_She's made her circumstances clear that we're not to harm Ruby or her friends during this truce," _Citarhi recalled. "_If there's one Natsumi is, it's that she is a honorable woman. Even during our time as Sith, if she made a promise, she did her best to keep it, come hell and highwater. Her Alderaanian nature of honor betrays the Sith teachings. Not exactly the best strategy when it comes to Sith politics."_

"Always was a bit of a fault in her," a male voice confessed. "She would be too willing to put aside years of animosity to stop a threat, even if the alliance will inevitably backfire. She lacks the drive for revenge." The two Jedi looked to see Ironwood and Qrow standing in front of them. Ironwood continued, "If it isn't Citarhi Rhor. You just HAD to come after your supposed childhood friend's kid, didn't you?"

"_The Tin Soldier,"_ Citarhi said. "_I was wondering when you'd show up."_

"How about we get past the cute nicknames and formalities," Qrow said. "Jimmy and I here rarely agree about anything, anymore... he doesn't like how informal I am about things, he has very little subtlety in comparison to me with that giant fleet of his above Vale while I captured and killed 'pirates' in what could be considered a drunken haze just the other day."

"I hate you, too, Qrow," Ironwood said, not even bothering to look at him.

"But we both agree we hate Jedi and Sith, and we're working with you under notable protest." Calming down, Qrow continued, "Look, since Summer and Ozpin have told me I can't kick you guys off our perfectly-fine-without-you-guys rock, I won't."

"Meanwhile, I don't know how you people keep managing to sneak past my forces," Ironwood replied, pulling out a Scroll that showed Grenit, Mallawarr, Lyonvas, and G7-1T in the city talking to Lisa Lavender while a crowd gathered in what started as fear but soon turned into curious awe of the peaceful alien ambassador... and the Wookiee who for some reason had a soft spot for children, judging by how he was mock roaring for the kids, "but I know who to look for and where to look if something goes awry and it appears either the Republic or the Empire are involved. If you step a single toe out of line on my planet, Summer's truce and odd, old friendship with you be damned, I will not hesitate to bring down Atlas' military might not your heads with extreme prejudice. I will find you, and kill you all myself. Do I make myself clear, Jedi?"

"_Ambassador Grenit has nothing to do with our plans to defeat Crumma," _Citarhi assured them. "_Just negotiate with Remnant on the Supreme Chancellor's behalf since she cannot immediately come to the planet."_

"Okay," Qrow said. "But why would you have an alien ambassador when you know we're primarily humans?"

"_Well, our Supreme Chancellor is a Togruta―"_

"That's all I needed to know," Qrow said. "Wait... is she hot?" The two Padawans stared at Qrow's incredulous face.

"_Still the pervert, I see," _Citarhi groaned. "_Are you two finished?"_

"Don't make me regret letting you stay," Ironwood warned one last time. "Because war is coming. We'll see what side you all are really on, Jedi." He then walked away, and Qrow gave the Jedi a sour look.

"Oh, and by the way," Qrow said, "tell Tillicru that Raven's mine to deal with. She and I have a full 18 years of unresolved tension to get out. Yeah, I know about their spat in the woods... and how Summer's risking everything by playing good hostess to you and your Master. Don't prove us right that Summer can't trust you anymore, Citarhi."

"_We will be on our best behavior,"_ Citarhi assured him. Qrow walked away in a different direction. The Jedi shrugged and walked away as well. However, none of them knew Ironwood hung back, and was holding a holo-communicator of his own. He pressed a button...

And a certain orange-haired girl answered. "_Salutations, General!" _Penny Polendina, Ruby Rose's Atlesian friend (and secret Atlas military superweapon) saluted. "_Hold on a second."_ A few slashes erupted, followed by an explosion, and thuds echoed. "_Forgive me, General. I had just finished my new combat subroutine tests. I feel really bad about destroying these drones, though..."_

"I'm sure you do, Penny," Ironwood nodded in an affectionate tone. "And if you have a few more tests to run on the fighting styles I've programed for you, I will let you return to running them, preferably on combat dummies since we still do not have the hologram combat simulators perfected yet."

"_Thank you, General!"_ Penny beamed. It almost saddened Ironwood to see that his greatest weapon was a girl that on the outside was a human 17-year-old girl on her first year at Atlas Academy, but on the inside was a super-advanced Hunter-Killer with a heart and soul... and he meant that literally. "_To what purpose is your call?"_

"I need to assign you to a very important mission," Ironwood explained. "Do you remember the girl Dr. Polendina and I specifically ordered you not to make contact with?"

"_Ruby!?"_ Penny beamed. She then frowned, knowing that this question did not have a purpose. "_Please tell me you're not asking me to hurt her or stay away from her."_

"I'm not heartless," Ironwood smiled. He did not know where Penny's obsession with Ruby came from, but he could use it right about now. "But there are plenty of people who might do her harm that have recently come to our world." Penny gasped. "Miss Rose and her friend Miss Nikos are both very essential to our future plans... and if the Jedi and Sith whose combat subroutines I gave you get their mitts on those two girls, bad things will happen. That is why I am personally lifting the ban of you spending time with Miss Rose so you can monitor her... and analyze the movements of the Jedi and Sith."

"_What about these Republic and Imperial battle tactics and these Mandalorian, Trandoshan, Wookiee, Echani, Cathar, and other forms?"_ Penny asked.

"Those are important, too," Ironwood replied. "But I'm more concerned about the Force-users."

* * *

**Combat Simulation Arena—16:16**

Penny nodded at the holographic Ironwood in front of her. "So," Penny said, "these Jedi Knights and Sith Lords are more dangerous to Ruby?"

"_Yes,"_ Ironwood said. "_Especially one Yale Shan and Darth Crumma... Miss Rose will barely last against either of them for a minute without aid, and with aid but without you, she'll only be around 5 minutes. Thanks to your specific skillset and the programming we just gave you, however, you are equipped to fight Jedi and Sith far better than any young Huntress, even Miss Nikos. So, that is why you are basically serving as Miss Rose's secret bodyguard."_

"Really!?" Penny cheered. "Oh, sensational! I can't wait to have fun with Ruby!"

"_You'll have to,"_ Ironwood interrupted Penny's joy. "_Not because it's an order, but because she's currently passed out in her room after a long school day. Besides, you've been training for three days straight yourself. You should power down, and when you're ready, begin your assignment. Oh, and this time, Penny... do try to keep your identity as a combat droid secret better. For your own safety, of course. If Jedi or Sith figure out you are a droid, it could be disastrous."_

"Yes sir, General," Penny saluted. Ironwood cut off the holo, and Penny admired her handiwork. Around her, several Jedi and Sith alike laid dead and dismembered, smoke coming off their wounds. Republic and Imperial troops were littered in a mountain of corpses. Two Mandalorian helmets were impaled on her swords still embedded in the wall, and right in front of her, a ripped apart Wookiee laid. The bodies all twitched for a moment before turning into combat droids with appearance altering programs. Penny frowned, remembering they were robots like her.

However, she remembered her human friend, Ruby, and how she was in jeopardy because of the people she had to imagine fighting. Ruby was her first real human friend. Arguably her only human friend. Penny did not know why, but she was drawn to the young reaper. That was why she wanted to request to Ironwood a full transfer into Beacon if she could. Penny looked at a discarded lightsaber, and stepped on it. With the force of her shoe, the weapon was smashed. Penny called her swords back, and sighed.

"Rest well, my friends," Penny said to the fallen droids. "You can be fixed... and saved. But Ruby... she can't be fixed easily if she gets broken." She looked out towards the freshman dorms, where Ruby was resting. "Don't worry, Ruby. I'll finish my training... and should Jedi or Sith try to take you from me or your friends, I'll be combat ready!"

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: Penny LIVES! Oh, and Pyrrha, too.

Anyway, a lot of people consider Darth Mel the "Lawful/Necessary Evil" Big Bad of the story. And they're right. Compared to the chaotic evils that are Cinder (who wishes to divide and conquer the kingdoms of Remnant) and Crumma (who wants to destroy the Light and spread fear and suffering through the entire universe), Mel's pretty much a saint who plays by the rules, but is not afraid to bring hard truths and directly interact with the good guys because she knows she can take them and actually wants them on her side while Cinder would be content to kill them or manipulate them and Crumma just needs to control Ruby. So, here's Mel's second attempt at recruiting the heroes, the first being Rumwash's attack on Vale. It doesn't work, but they start learning more about the villains.

Speaking of villains, Bal'rog finally shows up, and he's the man behind Quay... and Kebiin, my personal favorite of the bounty hunter characters I will be using. I had to rewrite him a couple times. Bal'rog's a mob boss/gangster type villain, and he'll be more of a non-action Big Bad rather than Cinder. But know that every act any of the bounty hunters or intergalactic criminals we see, Bal'rog's behind it. Also, expect a few bounty hunters to actually fight the heroes in the next few chapters.

Now, I know a few of you would reasonably expect the people of Vale to be freaking out that aliens are walking their streets... hence the military's reaction and some people (like Lisa's cameraman) being concerned with the clearly armed Mallawarr and Lyonvas. However, Ironwood preventing them shot actually worked out in everyone's favor. Not only did they (for the time being) prevent an intergalactic incident, but this allowed the Republic to finally start moving because I've been playing too much to the Empire's favor. Time to play catch-up with the Republic, but Ironwood's keeping a close eye on them.

Finally, Penny's role in the story. Yep, she's Ruby's bodyguard. Does Ruby need protection? Yes and no, because while she's a skilled warrior, there are things out of her league. So, why did I put in everything Ozpin's secret society knows about Jedi and Sith into Penny? So she could reasonably fight Force-users and be a crutch character in the battles to come.

Now, for reviews, because I have to catch up.

**RedemptionWarrior: **His past with Team STRQ told him to attack. He has a few points: Raven is a troll who's dimension cutting sword allows her to strike anywhere she wants to, Summer is an ex-Sith and that automatically means she can't be one hundred percent trusted, Qrow is a bit of a dick on his best days, and Taiyang's... well, Taiyang. Also, we're going to explore more with what Team STRQ did to the Jedi later that causes him to distrust them.

As for the pacing, I'm sorry. I just feel that this would be how the intergalactic superpowers would act in terms of a power scramble with a planet anyone barely knows about. Partly out of diplomacy, partly out of knowing that a potentially dangerous group of Force-users were here and being more-or-less militarized.

**KuletXCore:** Hello, nice name! Moving on, yeah... I tried to keep Summers "real name" as a bit of fridge brilliance. It keeps the color scheme of _RWBY's_ naming system going whilst sounding foreign enough to not be out of place in the _Star Wars _universe. She's meant to be a real-world equivalent of Japanese-Irish, not something everyone sees every day.

**infernoXray:** At this point, I would say Crumma's just getting out of his prime, so I would assume Sidious. Crumma, however, is more creative with how he takes advantage of a "tainted" planet and is more of a front lines fighter than Sidious ever was.

**DaManWOFear:** Thank you, Master. I am trying.

For your second review, yes... I see where Ruby's an expy of both Anakin and Rey. Ruby was originally meant to be the one who tilted the Force into its unbalanced state by the prequel films, which lead to their tragedies. So, in a way, Ruby's indirectly responsible for Vader. But as for the Rey half for her, I agree. Ruby's curious, raised on stories of heroes, a bit of a wrench wench, and seems like a natural fighter like Rey.

Yang and Raven's roles are going to be similar and different from the parent-child relationships in the movies. While canon-Raven is a bit of a disappointment with her being completely apathetic to Yang and only saved her because she was there, here, Yang and Raven's relationship is... estranged. Raven wants to be close (after years being tortured by the Empire making her regret it), she doesn't really know enough about Yang to be close. Yang also wants to be close, but can't forgive her mom for walking out on her to do some soul-searching. And that's just the tip of what I have planned.

Blake's role in this story has her basically be the team's confidante and discovering that being a half-human in an opening up universe has its ups and downs. She also has her past coming back to haunt her, too. Will she run like canon, or will her team be there to support her and keep her staying close? Time will tell.

Weiss, however, gets a bigger role, soon, since she's as much of a member of the team as the others. She's discovering what happened with her mother, a character we don't get a lot of information about in canon (since everything she and her sister do seems to stem to spiting their father).

Pyrrha and Jaune's roles as major characters was a given. Pyrrha is technically Jaune's mentor and a good friend of Ruby's. She's a character that could easily be the chosen one if not for the fact that Ruby was the main character. Jaune serves as an audience surrogate for both the RWBY-verse and the _Star Wars _universe, since he's reacting like a real person would to both sides of the spectrum. And like I said before at the beginning of this, he's indirectly the Leia in the Luke-Leia-Han trio.

Summer is basically Light Side Darth Traya. She points out the flaws in the _Star Wars_ universe's Jedi and Sith orders (and the _RWBY_ universe is about to get a few cracks from her, Raven, and possibly Taiyang), is unpredictable by the superpowers, and is key in resolving the conflict she indirectly created. Also, you're right: this series is basically the Roses' legacy on the Force.

Crumma is meant to be that incredibly powerful Sith who can manipulate physical manifestations of darkness. But now that I know Cinder can do something... similar... yeah, Vale's more dead than canon when Crumma finally arrives. And we're going to see Beowolves ripping at Ursae.

Darth Mel is my favorite villain, too. I actually now have to write her fight with Cinder, now. Dark Councilor vs. Dark Fall Maiden. That will be a giant mess of a fight.

**A.K.b00m:** Remnant is in for a wild ride when the war hits. Things will never be the same.

Taiyang presented as a gentleman and caring father figure was possibly the best I could do prior to what we got in canon. He'll also finally get a few fights, too. Also, prior to him actually getting on the battlefield, in case people wonder why he's using a bow on top of gauntlets, I felt it was a good weapon, and gauntlets aren't the best at fighting blade-users. This was decided prior to Volume 3, mind you, so I did not know Yang would get an arm chopped off.

Raven being an expert swordswoman doesn't surprise me. The creative ways she uses her blades, however, should surprise people. Team STRQ is leagues beyond the levels of Team RWBY, so they're capable of doing incredible feats and fighting insanely powerful foes. That's not to say it will protect them, however.

**Guest:** Sorry for the delay. I originally wanted Volume 3 to finish, first... then depression, and homework sank any hopes for a February update.

**Axcel:** Wait, they are!? Holy crap, that's awesome!

**Dimension Crosser: **Yeah, negotiations are going to be a bit of a pain with the Republic initially. Bi may be idealistic, but she's slightly naïve about the state of affairs by an alien ambassador (who cannot speak Basic without a translator) to a planet primarily populated by humans. Everyone from Remnant is indirectly calling her out for that. Again, I'm sorry, pro-Republic people, but the Empire has the advantage ball. That's not going to be for too long, however, since the Empire is directly responsible for a blatant attack on a kingdom and indirectly responsible for a group of criminals.

**Cer mando:** Good to hear.

**Darth Stigma and Nerdfighter1309:** I am incredibly sorry for the delay, again.

Okay, I think I'm caught up. I'm off to update my other story, _Mega Man Star Network!_ Farewell my subjects!


	12. Chapter 12: Setting the Pieces

A/N: Really sorry I didn't have this up this past April, especially on my birthday (and the anniversary of this story). I had to rewrite the ending multiple times. Also, I missed Star Wars month! Anyway, I had a ton of homework to do, and then actual work as I finished the semester, and preparing for a summer course, and on top of all of this, my laptop is dying and I have to upgrade soon. Lucky for me, I have everything this story related up on Google Drive for the inevitable crash, but otherwise, I'd be screwed.

So, here goes... something. And considering who a major character is in this chapter, what better day to release this than Father's Day?

* * *

**The Jundland, Tatooine**

A dark redheaded girl wearing a red cloak over her brown robes meditated in the desert, the metal parts scattered in front of her. She heard pacing behind her.

"Padawan," a female voice guided her, "you have proven throughout your training to be a masterful warrior and are becoming a skilled duelist. But there is a difference between wielding the lightsaber and understanding it." A blue crystal floated in front of the girl. "The crystal is the heart of the blade. The heart is the crystal of the Jedi. And the Jedi are the crystal of the Force."

The metal pieces started floating up and around the crystal, the girl reaching out with her hands to do so. Soon, the pieces began forming something around the crystal, constructing a hilt. The hilt was silver with black stripes, not unusual. But something was unique about it was the red wraps around the center of the weapon, giving it a more comfortable grip. There was a silver rose symbol on the weapon as well.

"They are all connected, young one: the crystal, the blade, the Jedi. You are one." The pieces all set, revealing the weapon: a dual-sided lightsaber staff. The girl then opened her eyes, revealing the silver gleam as she stood up.

Ruby grabbed the completed weapon, and turned it on, admiring the blue beam from one end. The girl then imagined the various forms of combat she could take with these forms. "Huh… would have imagined having two beams." A small laugh knocked her out of her admiration.

"You forgot to hit the trigger on the other side," her teacher, an older woman, commented as she walked forward. She then pressed the button, and the other blade came out, nearly shocking the fifteen-year-old girl. Ruby then took a good look at the woman. Brown hair, in her sixties she had to assume, wearing blue and brown. "So, you're Natsumi's daughter. I'm Master Yale Shan of the Jedi Order."

"...Oh darn it," Ruby groaned. "This is because I forgot to channel my Aura before passing out."

"I assume Crumma invading your dreams resulted in that defense," the woman said. "Whatever you were doing to keep me out, it was strong, yet untrained. You show that you possess a great affinity for the Force."

"Um thanks," Ruby smiled. She then awkwardly asked, "So are we going to fight or… whatever horrible thing you plan to do to me? I mean, I'd rather get my butt whooped now and wake up from the nightmare sooner than drag it out."

"I take it your first visitor was Crumma," the Jedi Grandmaster guessed. Ruby's eyes widening only confirmed Yale's suspicions. "He has an impressive reach and a stronger bond of hatred to your mother than I realized. Through his hatred of Natsumi, he found her love for you, and made contact that way to torment you. Whilst my interactions with your mother have been greatly limited in comparison, I have a far better connection to the Force than Crumma does and like you, I share a strong affinity to the Light." Grabbing her own lightsaber, she said, "Still, we can spare a few moments of sparring, just so you have some clue as to what you are doing. I don't want you accidentally disarming yourself."

And spare they did. Ruby had never really thought about it (considering she's only had a lightsaber in real life for all of a weekend), but she was amazed by the lightness of the weapon in her hands. Compared to Crescent Rose, swinging a lightsaber—even a dual-bladed one—was easy. However, she had quickly figured out that the weapon needed some restraint due to the low amount of weight, since Yale could simply take advantage of the openings Ruby left with her reckless attacks.

Speaking of her opponent, Yale proved to be more than a simple duelist or an old woman. Although she did not really use Force techniques, Yale proved light on her feet, simply dodging or parrying Ruby's swings, all while critiquing Ruby's technique. Ruby herself started to realize her mistakes as they sparred, and very quickly came to the same conclusion she did with Crumma:

Yale was far beyond Ruby's league.

Ruby wasn't surprised that Yale was so much stronger than her. Her surprise was more of the fact that the Jedi Grand Master was taking things so easily with her. This one was someone who knew her mother, but unlike Crumma who had nothing but contempt for Summer, Yale seemed... sorry? Ruby was caught off guard by this thought, and stopped her attack. Yale, sensing Ruby's confusion, turned off her lightsaber.

"Don't you want to hurt me, considering Mom's an ex-Sith?" Ruby asked.

Sitting down in front of Ruby, Yale said, "No, it's not the Jedi way to intentionally do harm. I was hoping I could simply talk to you, young one. Perhaps even serve as a bit of a teacher."

Ruby seemed reluctant, but turned off her saberstaff and sat back down. "Why teach me how to build laser swords with the Force?" Ruby asked, looking at her new weapon. "Why train me in how to use them?"

"It seemed like a good starting point," Yale observed. "You're meek and socially awkward, like Natsumi before you. I myself had difficulties with interacting with others as a Padawan. But on the battlefield, you seem comfortable, not at all different from Natsumi in her youth despite her dislike of senseless bloodshed. I figured showing you the Jedi Order's weapon would be a good chance to see how you act." She noted, "You're a warrior; unsurprising considering the world you're raised on and your parentage. But at the same time, the light in you is strong. Your determination stronger. You have the traits of a fine guardian, if not a fine Jedi." Ruby beamed. "Though you are rather too overly trusting. While your warm heart is admirable, you cannot see past the faces in front of you. Furthermore, during our spar, it's clear you rely too much on your blade, and you are reckless with your moves. These flaws could cost not just your life, but the lives of everyone around you, especially considering the role the Force pushes you in as a leader. You need to think more than just swinging your weapon around, and you cannot let yourself be easily deceived by lies."

"That sounds a lot like Weiss," Ruby confessed.

"I feel your friend has a similar but alternate problem," Yale said. "She is skilled and has struggled to perfect her techniques. Yet, she overthinks about her actions and tries too hard, which can cost her precious time and obsessing to avoid flaws can ironically expose them. Your other close companions have fatal flaws in their styles as well, from what I sense. Your older sister is blinded by her passions for battle and relies too easily on her rage, which can be easily turned against her, and not just because the Dark Side. While if anyone close to you was to fall it would be her, that's not her main flaw. Like you, she is reckless and her quick temper could make her viewed as easily a threat by the world as an ally. Your other companion has her cynical nature and keeps her past too easily chained in a sense of mistrust. Her inability to open up to others and her fears could tear apart your bonds."

"Wow," Ruby said. "It sounds like you know them."

"You could say that," Yale shrugged. "Perhaps you should study the Force and have group meditations more often. It could help to learn the techniques of the Jedi."

"You're offering to train me?" Ruby asked. "I mean, thanks, but… outside of this dream world, I can't use those cool techniques Mom, Prof. Goodwitch, and Pyrrha can. I can just move really fast. What's worse is that I don't want to be a chosen one or a very special girl. I don't want absolute power. I just want to be a regular Huntress who saves the day and makes Remnant a better place. That's my role: help people. However, everything about my life is changing faster than I can run... I don't know if I can keep up at times."

"I can only use Glyphs to move or increase my abilities," Weiss' voice said to the right of her. "I've tried for years and focused for hours during training to get every single detail just right, but it's not good enough. At least to my father, it will NEVER be good enough, and I'm wasting my time trying to become a Huntress and outgrow his influence. What's worse is that deep down, I think he's right. I haven't even gotten down summoning like Winter has. I want to master my abilities and turn the legacy my father is leaving with our name around, but… how can I do that without mastering our families' techniques and surpassing him?"

"My Semblance basically speaks for itself," Blake's voice said behind her. "It allows me to run away and avoid people. That's what I've always done since I was a little girl: run. To prevent my past from catching up with me for a time being. But in the end, I'm a coward at heart. I'm not sure if there will be a moment where I can STOP running. I hide who I really am to almost everyone I meet. I don't even know if I can stay with my friends or even deserve them."

"You do deserve us, Blakey," Yang said to Ruby's left. "Me, however? Well, I'm only really in this for the action at times, but I have my share of issues, too. I don't know how to approach this whole 'Mom walking out on me and Dad' thing, even if she was captured by the Empire for most of my life. I just try to connect with her, but apart from a few jokes… it's hard. Harder than every single hit I take on a daily basis just to supercharge my Semblance. A lot of people don't know is that just because I absorb the hits doesn't mean I'm immune to the damage. I feel EVERYTHING. Being the lifebuoy of this team also kind of wears down on me, too. I try to keep everyone happy, but sometimes I wonder if the jokes are more for my benefit than theirs."

"Interesting to get it all out in the open," Yale mused. "Don't you think, girls?"

The four girls then blinked, and then looked at each other, discovering they were all there and wearing similar robes, but in their usual colors.

"Weiss? Blake? Yang?" Ruby asked. "Um… are you guys having the same dream that I am?"

"Let me guess," Weiss said. "You found yourself in a random patch of desert, with two suns mind you, listening to a nice woman talking and critiquing you, and you could use the Force somehow?" The others nodded. "Well, I could stop objects, even plasma shots. What was yours, Ruby?"

"Laser-sword building and forms," Ruby answered, holding up her new lightsaber.

"I got the ability to lift huge boulders with my mind, punch them to nothing without triggering my Semblance, and blocking laser sword beams with my bare hands," Yang said. "Blake?"

"...Persuasion and animals," the Faunus awkwardly offered. "I could get into the minds of creatures and beings I've never seen before, and convince them to help me. This was on top of creating perfect illusions." The four looked at the Jedi Master, and Blake asked, "And… it's because of you who brought us here. Ruby, is this similar to Crumma's attacks on you?"

"In a sense, yeah," Ruby said. "Me I understand people from Mom's past being able to reach into my mind. But you guys?"

"It's because of my closer proximity than Crumma now that I am on the planet," Yale explained. "Also, your close proximity allowed for this as well. The Force within you four and the bonds you share are very strong. You in particular, Ruby. And I sense the bonds with others, someone in particular, are growing stronger."

"Me?" Ruby asked. "No offense, but… I'm not really good with people."

"But yet, the Wizard put you in command of this team, and you seem to form bonds between you and your friends rather easily despite your reluctance," Yale noted. "It reminds me of the story of a legendary Jedi. You haven't known it, young Ruby, but you've been using the Force quite well for much of your life. You just need to master it."

"But so soon?" Ruby asked. Holding her head, she listed, "This Emperor is coming, we have Rumwash to track down, and there's a bad guy responsible for the White Fang, Torchwick, and the Breach… and I have to do something about this stupid weapon that may or may not have caused the Grimm. I may not even be that girl!" Sighing from her rant, she looked at everyone. "Last week, I was a Huntress-in-training two years earlier than her whole class. Now? It's hard to know… who I really am anymore."

"I know that feeling," Yale said. "Finding out your ancestors were ancient Jedi heroes, having to achieve a great destiny, trying to keep your long line of inner darkness within you at bay so you don't fall to it, separating yourself from the legacies of Revan, Bastila, and Satele… it's hard."

"Revan?" Weiss asked. "Have we heard that name before?"

"You might have," Yale said. "Some would say he was one of the greatest Jedi Masters to ever grace the Force. Some still believe Revan was a woman beneath that mask and those thick robes. He was the hero of the Mandalorian Wars, only he and his friend Malak fell to the Dark Side fighting the Sith Emperor, came back, started the Jedi Civil War. Revan was betrayed by Malak, and was redeemed by the Jedi Bastila. Ironically, they would fall in love, and that love would save them both from Malak. Before you ask about Satele, she's just as much of a legend, and the first Shan to be named the Jedi Grand Master. And before you question why these Jedi had families, well… not everyone adhered to that part of the Code. My older sister didn't. Rather, she left the order after a mission on Alderaan shook her to her very core, and she settled down and had a family. And I have my doubts that my niece kept true to that particular part of the code, either."

"It's nice to know it's not just Ruby's Mom having families," Blake said, "but why are you reaching out to us? Are you trying to get us on your side like Darth Mel?"

"Darth Mel," the Jedi Master noted. "She's a Dark Councilor, but the most diplomatic, preferring to conquer planets with words rather than pure violence like most Sith. She's still quite the opponent in a fight." Looking at the four girls in front of her, she said, "As for my efforts to recruit you, while you could with training make fine Jedi, it's not my place to bring you into the Order. I plan to meet with Natsumi to discuss an alliance between us against the Emperor. But… in the meantime, I have a confession to make, young Rose."

"Confession?" Ruby asked.

"I was among the Jedi who was foretold the destiny you face," the Jedi Grandmaster explained. "This led to the unintended side effect of much of your mother's misery. Her family—YOUR family—was nearly destroyed because of it, betrayed by a concerned Republic, and scattered. Your grandparents were killed by a Sith minutes after Natsumi was born, and she was given to the Thuls as a slave before I could reach her. I often wonder how Natsumi would have turned out had I been able to reach her in time. Would she have been a Jedi? Would you even be here, young one?"

"So, let me get this straight," Weiss said. "You're part of the reason Summer Rose grew up horribly?"

"I just received the vision alongside the woman who was responsible for the Himura Massacre," the Jedi explained. "I tried to talk reason into my old friend and discussed it with the Jedi Council, but… it happened so fast and none of us saw it coming. I apologize for not stopping her, however."

"Why would you tell us this?" Yang scowled at the Jedi Master before looking at Ruby's confused and horrified face. Her eyes were flashing red again. "Why would you tell us that Ruby's family was killed by a Jedi!?"

"Because the issue would come up eventually," Yale confessed. "Whether it's from my mouth or your Masters', someone would have to tell Ruby about what happened on Alderaan all those years ago and why. The Himura clan was rather strange, being skilled warriors on a peaceful planet like Alderaan, mainly mercenaries that defended innocents throughout the galaxy regardless of allegiance, and showing signs of Force sensitivity, but not joining the Jedi or Sith. That neutrality unfortunately backfired on them, and the Force-sensitive orders eventually made their moves against the Himuras. The Jedi didn't know whether or not they were breeding some powerful Force-sensitive super soldier. I fear the Sith were counting on it, and tried to make the most likely candidate suffer hardships so she would be an agent of the Dark Side. Instead, they got your mother." Looking at Ruby, she said, "I know I'm risking a lot, but I needed to tell you, so you could make your own decisions, and let you know why the galaxy fears you, wondering if you were ever planning on taking revenge."

"Um how?" Blake asked. "Ruby's a teenage girl and not even fully trained. She doesn't have an army or even know how to fly a ship."

"You'd be surprised how much damage a single Jedi or single Sith could do across planets," Yale commented.

"...I think I understand," Ruby said. "You didn't kill my grandparents… sure, what you discovered led to my Mom's suffering, but she wouldn't have met Dad had she not come to Remnant." She then sniffed something. "Speaking of Dad, Yang, is it just me, or…?"

"...Are those his pancakes?" Yang asked after a sniff.

"Looks like our time is almost over," Yale said. "You're awakening." As the dream began to fade, Yale said, "Tell the Sun Dragon I said, 'Hello', and I wish for peace between us."

* * *

**Beacon Academy—First Year Dorms—07:25**

Taiyang, Qrow, and Winter walked through the halls of Beacon, the young woman confused. She looked at the blonde man wearing a pink apron labeled, "You Want to Kiss the Cook", holding the large silver platter filled with chocolate chip pancakes, freshly cut strawberries, blueberries, hash browns, eggs, coffee, tea, a half-gallon of milk, and bacon.

"Do you think I got the coffee right?" Taiyang asked the Atlesian specialist, who was holding her own cup.

"What?" Winter asked before taking a sip. She nodded. "Wait, the reason you delayed this reunion with our family members so you could make them… breakfast."

"You spoil your girls, Tai," Qrow remarked. "Ice Queen, you haven't lived until you have eaten one of Taiyang's omelettes."

"I thought I smelt Xiao Long Chocolate Chip Pancakes," Ironwood said as he walked up next to them. Winter saluted, avoiding spilling her coffee. "At ease, Schnee." Turning to Taiyang as Winter relaxed, the general smirked, "I'm damn glad to see you, Xiao Long."

"Likewise, James," Taiyang said. Ironwood had to remind himself with a chuckle that Taiyang was a civilian Huntsman and teacher, and he was at least more polite than Qrow. Unfortunately, he wasn't a part of their secret order... despite knowing the truth. Ozpin respected his wishes of a simple life, and only called on him when things got desperate. The Remnant Keys, however, were that desperate time.

"I got your message," Ironwood said. "I'll see what I can do about that Remnant Key."

"We have to talk about it, but can it wait until I… get my performance review? It's been a minute since I cooked for anyone not Qrow or the girls. I'm not sure if my style appeals to someone as refined as Weiss Schnee… and I don't know Blake's tastes, either, save for Yang saying she likes tea and... fish."

"I'm surprised you cook at all," Winter said, noticing the flapjacks.

"Had to," Taiyang replied. "Part of my survival training when I was training at Wushi. Also, before my girls learned after their moms... left, somebody had to feed the family. Also, Ruby's STILL not a good cook. That's not stopped me from trying with her."

Picking up a pancake, the specialist complimented, "These are… nearly perfect on both sides. But why do you want my opinion?"

"I'm sorry, Winter, I'm super nervous about how picky… well rich families can be, no offense."

"None taken," Winter said, knowing her father.

"This is the first time I'm really meeting my girls' teammates, and I don't want to embarrass myself or them in front of your sister or Blake. Yang really likes Blake, and Ruby didn't have too many friends besides Yang as far as I know before Beacon, so… I don't want to come off as that 'embarrassing Dad' who ruins their friendships."

"Well, you do off as surprisingly dorky and unprofessional," Winter remarked, looking him up and down. She stopped at his face, and added, "But you're a nice man… and easy on the eyes." Taiyang tilted his head.

"God damn it, Taiyang Xiao Long," Qrow muttered as they approached the door to Team RWBY's room.

"Careful, Schnee," Ironwood teased. "He's a twice-married man."

"G-General," Winter stammered, blood rushing to her cheeks. "I'm not looking to seduce a widower."

"That part is open to debate," Qrow warned. Before Winter and Taiyang could ask, Qrow knocked on the door. "Hey, girls," Qrow called. "You awake?"

"Uncle Qrow?" Ruby asked with a yawn. She then opened the door, still dressed in her uniform from the day before, but awkwardly ruffled (she was put in bed before Jaune could leave the room, and he wanted to respect her modesty). She then looked at Qrow's guests, noticing Winter's confusion and Taiyang's awkward smile. Ruby's mind went into overdrive before she realized what was happening. She then slowly closed the door. Soon enough, Ruby let out a jovial scream.

"What's wrong?" Blake asked.

"Daddy's here with food!" Ruby squealed. "Oh, and General Ironwood and a woman that looks like Weiss."

"Winter!?" Weiss questioned.

"Good morning, Weiss," Winter greeted from outside. "Permission to enter?"

"Now!? But we're hardly decent in these clothes!"

"We're in PJs, Weiss," Yang said. "And we just woke up. Besides, if I know that smell, I think I know what it means…"

"What?" Blake asked.

"Breakfast in bed!"

"That's a thing in your house?" Weiss asked. Ruby and Yang laughed while Zwei barked in joy.

As the girls talked to themselves, the door to JNPR's door slammed open, revealing Nora in her pajamas. "Who made pancakes and can I have some!?"

"Nora," Jaune said as he sleepily walked behind her, still in his onesie, "I'm sure those aren't meant for you." He then looked at the confused quartet of Hunters. He asked, "Um… hello?"

"Mr. Arc," Ironwood asked, "what are you wearing?" Jaune looked down at himself, and then at the curious general. He then realized that he was wearing footie pajamas in front of a Headmaster and foreign general... plus a beautiful, older version of Weiss. And two professional Huntsmen. He had to salvage his dignity somehow!

"Why aren't YOU wearing footie pajamas?" Jaune awkwardly responded.

"Kid," Qrow said, "you need to work on your comebacks. That's not something I can train in you like your friend Pyrrha wants."

"Arc?" Taiyang asked with a raised eyebrow. "As in, 'Jaune Arc'? The boy Yang said that has Ruby's number?" Jaune then realized who he was talking to as Ironwood was handed the tray. Qrow then turned to Winter.

"Wanna watch what happens, sweet cheeks?" Qrow asked. Winter scoffed.

"You're drunk again," Winter said.

"He's always drunk," Ironwood said.

"So," Taiyang said, almost too cheerily, "you're the boy who's close to my little rose, huh?" He then cracked his neck and clenched his hands into fists, knuckles popping. It was at this moment that Jaune knew:

By stepping out of his room, he messed up.

"I-I-I swear, sir," Jaune begged as he placed Nora back in the room (despite how powerful she was, Jaune knew that Nora would only slow Taiyang down, and he'd rather not be known as the cowardly leader to have his teammates serve as a shield), "I have not touched your innocent younger daughter… or your beautiful older one."

"The picture Yang sent me yesterday says otherwise, young man," Taiyang replied, holding up his Scroll to show Jaune awkwardly holding sleeping Ruby with Pyrrha laughing next to him. Pyrrha peaked out, spotting Taiyang and the picture. While she was embarrassed that Yang had taken it, she realized what was happening, and then stepped out next to Jaune, wearing a red nightgown with a pair of brown night pants.

"Mr. Xiao Long," Pyrrha offered, "you have to understand that it's not what it looks like."

"It looks like he lied about not touching Ruby," Taiyang clarified. The knight sweat dropped.

"I meant in a way that was inappropriate for school!" Jaune stammered to the glaring Sun Dragon. "I just had to carry her until Pyrrha and I got her back in her room, and I am digging myself deeper…."

"He means that we helped Yang put Ruby in her bed after she finished her homework," Pyrrha elaborated. "It was completely platonic, I swear."

"Why would you word it like that?" Ren asked from inside the room.

"Also, how was I supposed to know Ruby was a sleep hugger!?" Jaune asked. "I-it was nice to know she's comfortable with me, but… why am I surrounded by cute, quirky girls who can kill me in several different ways if they wanted to!?"

"Welcome to Beacon, kid," Qrow said, leaning on the wall. "Huntresses are often beautiful and cute, but deadlier than us men."

"I can vouch for that," Ren said from inside the JNPR room. Nora squealed in joy for some reason.

"I'm glad you find Ruby cute," Taiyang said, "but I do have to question your intentions for her. And what was that about Yang being 'beautiful'?"

"Ha!" Yang laughed from inside her room while Pyrrha stepped in front of Jaune. "You heard it here first, ladies! Vomit Boy thinks I'm beautiful! Take that, Ice Queen!"

"You know this isn't helping Jaune, right?" Blake deadpanned.

"Hey!" Weiss scowled. "He liked me, first!"

Pyrrha muttered as Winter glared at Jaune the way a protective elder sister would, "Of course THAT would happen." Turning to Winter, she clarified, "It was… only a crush! That's all Jaune had on Weiss."

"Did he now?" Winter said, her hand reaching to the sword at her hip. "Sir, permission to have a 'discussion' with this young man?"

"Don't break him that badly," Ironwood allowed.

Pyrrha pulled out her Scroll. "Jaune," Pyrrha said, "get ready to—"

"Okay, look," Jaune said to the two visitors before they could beat him within an inch of his life, "I'm incredibly sorry about the whole socially awkward thing I have going on with Ruby, and flirting with Weiss! I know now, they're WAY out of my league! Ruby's an amazing warrior in an adorable, inspiring package, and I can see she takes after her parents and Uncle! Weiss, she's beautiful and skilled as well. Yang, Blake, and especially Pyrrha here are also miles above me! I'm a real loser compared to them! But still, they're my friends by their own volition!" Taiyang and Winter's glares softened, and the two looked at each other, feeling sorry for Jaune. Pyrrha frowned at Jaune's casual dismissal of his own worth, and even thinking he had no shot with her.

"Sorry," Taiyang said. "I didn't mean to hit your self-esteem. Didn't realize there WAS someone with even lower self-esteem than mine. I just wanted a straight answer of your intentions with my girls. God, now I really screwed up..."

"Dad," Yang said as the door opened behind him, revealing Yang in her pajamas. "We're fine. We're not little helpless girls who wander into Grimm-infested villages like Titan's Claw anymore. We're growing up to be young women. Besides, Jaune couldn't hurt us if he tried. Not that he would." Jaune lowered his head while Ruby, in fresh pajamas, and Pyrrha stood next to him. They each put a comforting hand on his back, and offered a caring smile. Ruby and Yang then walked over to their father, and gave him a hug.

"Hey," Taiyang said. "I still care deeply for you, girls. What if your heart gets broken? Or you're hurt really badly one day? Or… worse? After your mothers, I… I just can't help but worry about you. I already lost Raven to her wanderlust, and Summer to… well, things I should have told you about years ago. And with the Republic and Empire basically breathing down our necks, I'm… can you blame me for being paranoid?"

"You mean you haven't told him the good news yet, Uncle Qrow?" Ruby asked. Qrow awkwardly chuckled.

* * *

**Vale City, Agricultural District****—07:45**

_"This afternoon marks the beginnings of the Council's meetings with Republic Representative Ambassador Grengit and the Imperial Councilor, Darth Mel,"_ Lisa reported to the people of Remnant. Watching this from a Scroll, the green cloaked woman frowned at the news. _"Despite initial misgivings, the visitors from beyond our atmosphere seem to behaving rather well and have proven sociable with the Council. Reports of the warrior responsible for the attack on Vale have been scarce, however, as well as no signs of the white-cloaked vigilante. Rumor has it that this woman could be related to another vigilante from over twenty years ago. In partially related news, we have yet to hear the opinions about the foreign dignitaries from either Prof. Ozpin of Beacon or General Ironwood of Atlas. When asked for comment, they have refused to speak with us."_

The woman quietly sipped her tea before looking around. Seeing as she was alone, she smiled before walking to a nearby manmade pond. She then touched it, causing a ripple in the water. "Sisters, hear me..." Two cloaked faces—one wearing blue and one wearing pink—appeared in the water. "It seems we finally figured where the Outworlder who our elder sister met came from."

_"Not to mention that she is alive,"_ the blue cloaked added. _"If Amber was still in communication with us, I have no idea what she would think. She was among those who first met the Outworlder."_

_"Speaking of big sister,"_ the pink cloaked one said, _"shouldn't we find her? If anyone knows where she'd be, wouldn't it be Ozpin? He did train with her, right?"_

"I was about to suggest that," the green girl replied. "Amber was awfully kind-hearted, but reckless with her decisions. She wasn't careful with who she interacted with, like her guardian Qrow warned her, and now her power's... corrupted. Incomplete. The harpy responsible for pulling at Amber's heartstrings will have to pay, but we have a far more immediate concern. You both sense it too, right? The powerful magic from these 'Jedi' and 'Sith'. One powerful Jedi that can overwhelm one of us is already on the planet, two if you count the Outworlder as one. If more Jedi and Sith of that kind power show up, we may be doomed. To that end, sisters, we're going to have little choice but to take a tremendous risk... we'll have to expose ourselves and strike at our enemies before they can react. That will end the threat these beings bring."

The two gasped. _"We were told to work in the shadows!" _the blue cloaked woman protested. _"If the entire world finds out about us_—_that we're real_—_we could upset the balance! The Grimm would destroy the kingdoms, and mankind on Remnant would seize to exist!"_

"If we do nothing," the green cloaked woman argued, "then chances are this Republic and Empire could bring down their armies on our world and destroy it. If this first incident days ago was a test of our planet's defenses, we have no idea the true limits of the military might either faction has. And the only person we know who has gone up against this kind of force before is not easy to find."

_"The Outworlder?"_ the pink-clad girl asked. _"I thought she disliked us because our predecessors once tried to kill her over a misunderstanding."_

_"A misunderstanding that may soon be well-justified,"_ the blue-cloaked girl recalled. _"The Outworlder was a foreign figure, and while she detests senseless violence, she IS a trained killer and struck at the darkness with no proper authority or care for politics. Furthermore, she is just as powerful as the rest of us, if not more. Our predecessors had no idea what her goals were, and if she had Remnant's best interest at heart. Still, we have no idea how to contact her."_

"I know someone who can help with that," the green-cloaked woman said. "And also... I think I know what she wants. I'm going to Beacon tonight."

_"Are you sure?"_ the pink-cloaked girl asked. _"You know someone who'd help us find the Outworlder?"_

"I know someone who would know where to look," the green girl stated. "Someone who the Outworlder was seen interacting with... the person who has been, intentionally or not, pursuing the villain who hurt our sister."

* * *

**The Longue—08:15**

"I still can't believe you and Raven are still alive," Taiyang said to Summer over the holocom, tears in his eyes. The members of Teams RWBY and JNPR, all dressed in their usual attire (since they didn't have any immediate morning classes), smiled at the heartwarming scene of Summer and Taiyang talking over their breakfast, while Winter sat with her younger sister, happy for the two. Ironwood had excused himself for an "emergency", allowing them to set up a small area to engage in some small combat practice, since they had a later class.

"_Oi missed yer, too, me shinin' Krayt Dragon,"_ Summer tearfully replied, slipping into her accent. Ruby and Yang giggled at their blushing parents. "_For ten years, Ah've been dreamin' av bein' back witcha an' our wolf and dragoness, if you'll 'av me."_

"And here I was thinking for years, something was wrong with me…" Taiyang breathed.

"_Nothing ever was,"_ Summer assured him as she switched to her main accent.

"Aw," Weiss smiled. "That's so precious… I wish our parents could have been like that, Winter."

"It's also slightly disappointing," Winter said with a shaking head. "This means that Taiyang Xiao Long is off the market. I can already hear the heartbreak of so many teenage girls and young women worldwide."

"Well, there IS that," Weiss blushed. Ruby and Yang looked at their teammate, taken aback.

"Weiss, why!?" Ruby demanded, a feeling of betrayal growing in her chest.

"I'm sorry Ruby," Weiss said. "As much as I'm reminded of the fact that he sired you and he's part goofball… I can't ignore the fact that your father's kind of handsome." Taking a bite of her meal, she added, "Also, he cooks, so that's a plus."

"Why is he a hunky dork?" Blake muttered.

"I do have to admit that he's cute," Pyrrha flushed, reminded of an older Jaune. Said boy was somewhat jealous of the Dragon Warrior, and wondering where the jealousy was coming from.

"Cute nothing!" Nora brushed. "He's HOT!"

"Nora," Ren groaned, "please stop thinking of Mr. Xiao Long like that."

"I want new female friends!" Yang gagged.

Summer, oblivious to her daughters freaking out at Taiyang's DILF status, asked, "_Hey, remember how we became partners?"_

"Oh who doesn't forget the time his partner, a reserved girl with gravity powers, was fighting a bunch of probe droids that weren't part of the original entrance exam, and then helping her take them out?" Taiyang smiled. "Of course, it's the way I did it that's probably the embarrassing part."

"_Yeah," _Summer rubbed her head. "_You shrank with your Semblance and used your tiny form to do those bullet like punches into the droids. And then, there was your… landing."_ She then tapped her fingers together, and said, "_I'm still sorry about the whole 'slapping you through a tree' thing. Thank goodness for Aura, because your bones would have been broken at that size."_

"Hey, I landed in your shirt… on your assets," Taiyang apologized. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you."

_"To be fair, I only had low-cutting shirts outside of on me apart from light combat armor that went over my robes still getting repaired from my crash landing, and I was out of fresh tunics because I had yet to do laundry,"_ Summer flushed. _"I thankfully got a chance to upgrade my wardrobe as I got used to Vale."_

"And somewhere in the galaxy men were weeping," Qrow added.

"Really, Qrow?" Winter asked.

"_Her boobs were soft, though!"_ Raven called in the background. "_That's probably where she puts her food, too, the big eater!"_

"_Raven!"_ Summer flushed as the samurai came in the foreground. "_They're not that big! And you have to excuse my eating, because I wasn't exactly fed a whole lot both on Alderaan and Korriban, and while meditation helps, the calories are good for my Force powers!"_

"_Yes they are,"_ Raven said, groping Summer. The ex-Sith cried in shock as Raven squeezed and said, "_These things are soft! They're still fleshy pillows even after all these years."_ Taiyang tilted his head in curiosity. Jaune himself had to turn away (to avoid a nosebleed of the thought of an older Yang messing with basically an older Ruby), Weiss grunted, Nora giggled, while Ruby had her eyes covered by Yang. _"Besides, you have nothing to be afraid of. We're in the same boat, Summer."_

"Mom! Stop harassing Mom!" Yang said. Raven pouted, but let the embarrassed Summer go, who scurried away and covered her chest. "Great, now I'm gonna have to worry about that with me." Raven, meanwhile, smirked at Qrow and Taiyang while Summer sat down.

"_Long time no see, little brother," _Raven said. Qrow growled at that. Before the conversation could be continued, the door opened.

"There you are, Qrow," Goodwitch said as she walked in. "I almost forgot this room existed had the general not told me you were all here. I remember how we used this room."

"Hi, Glynda!" Taiyang smiled with a wave. Goodwitch looked at the blonde Dragon warrior. She flushed at his face, but turned away.

"Hello to you, Taiyang," she sighed. "God, it's way too early to see you, again." Summer giggled while Ruby and Yang groaned. She then noticed Summer and Raven on the holocom. "Summer, Raven. It's been years."

"_Oh, hi, Glynda," _Summer greeted, turning shy. "_Um, sorry about the mess downtown. I was kind of worried about Ruby and Yang, so I… kind of rampaged my way through Vale with Naywi at my back."_

"Naywi's your Mirialan Padawan or your Jawa?" Taiyang asked, recalling that part of the conversation.

"She's the Padawan," Yang said. "But can we keep her AND the Jawa?"

"Please?" Ruby pouted. "We'd love to have another set of sisters besides Weiss and Blake!"

"You consider us sisters?" Blake blushed.

Taiyang asked, "Girls, do you even know what Jedi and Jawas eat? And how hard it is to bathe the Jawa?"

"It wasn't anything I couldn't fix save for that truck you dropped on a war droid," Goodwitch said to Summer, "but next time you tear through a Sith attack through a city, please try to minimize the damage. There could have been more casualties from your heroics alone, and the panic you cause could result in Grimm."

_"We've been working on the Grimm problem for the past weekend,"_ Raven assured her.

"I wonder if the destructive savior approach your daughter has to her vigilantism she inherited from you or picked up from Qrow training her."

"I'm sorry," Ruby apologized. "But nobody else was doing anything about the White Fang or Torchwick!"

"That completely excuses crashing a train into the middle of Vale and trying to solo an invading army," Winter deadpanned.

"I know, right?" Ruby smiled.

"Weiss," Winter sighed, "you were right when you said sarcasm was above her."

"In defense of both incidents," Weiss explained, "we caught the White Fang off guard and forced them to attack earlier than they intended, while Rumwash was after Ruby because of Ruby being some type of alien chosen one, so we had no choice."

"I am in that loop, regardless of the General wanting it classified," Winter said.

"Speaking of you children," Goodwitch added, "don't worry too much about combat class today. I'm afraid something urgent has popped up on my schedule… something I need to borrow Qrow for."

"Oh, Glynda," Qrow smirked. "I didn't even know you were into me." As if on cue, one of Taiyang's pancakes flew into Qrow's face, courtesy of Goodwtich's crop and her Semblance. Nora still grabbed it and ate it. "Worth it."

"Not for that, Qrow," Goodwitch scowled. "Ozpin summoned us. Or did you turn your Scroll off?"

"Oh, it's on," Qrow said. "I just thought whatever Ozpin asked for, it could wait until family time was over. Speaking of which, I have something I need to tell Raven."

"_If it's about me leaving for almost eighteen years,"_ Raven said, "_then we can have THAT conversation later. I'll send you coordinates. Tonight."_

"You better show up," Qrow said.

"Please don't let this talk turn violent," Goodwitch begged.

"Hey, Glynda," Taiyang asked, "do you need someone to sub for your class? I'm here for at least today, since James is a bit busy to give me access to the Remnant Key in Atlas."

"Well, it'd be appreciated," the Assistant Headmistress said. "And nice to know a professional Huntsman is actually gathering those up for Miss Rose. It's the final sessions prior to more missions and the Vytal Festival, so I tend to do critiques. These are mainly one-on-one spars, though. I have instructions."

"I can do that," Taiyang said. Qrow and Goodwitch soon left the lounge. Looking at the group of kids, he said, "Looks like you're stuck with me today, kids."

"Oh no," Jaune gulped.

"_Tai, did you scare the living pants off Ruby's first boyfriend?" _ Summer chastised, her hands on her hips. _"I thought we talked about when the girls were old enough to date, we'd let them make their own decisions within reason!" _Ruby, who had been reaching for a glass of milk, looked at her mother in incredulation, while Pyrrha coughed in shock. Jaune, meanwhile, shrank away from the holocom and the giant blonde man.

"Mom!" Ruby blushed. "Jaune's not my boyfriend! He's a boy who was my first friend at Beacon that wasn't Yang! And he's Pyrrha's partner, so…"

"_Oh, I guess I was reading too far into that," _Summer apologized. "_I sensed something was there, though… and you guys are cute. Add in Pyrrha, and it's a socially awkward but adorable love triangle!"_ Yang laughed at her blushing little sister while Pyrrha tilted her head. Raven rolled her eyes.

_"Love triangles,"_ the black-haired samurai muttered. _"We went through that craziness. Didn't know how that would go until after the Great Hunt."_

"Just please kill me before class," Jaune groaned to Taiyang.

"Actually, I'd never hear the end of it from Summer, Yang, and Ruby," Taiyang replied. "So I have to let you live."

Raven then looked at Summer. _"Oh, before I forget why I came here,"_ the samurai said, _"Naywi and R0 have tracked Yale Shan's signal. She's almost at the meeting point."_

"Meeting?" Taiyang asked. "And Yale Shan? She's on the planet!? And she's looking for you!? Where are you guys, right now!? I'll get the girls on a Bullhead and-"

_"Tai,"_ Summer smiled, _"I appreciate your concern, but this is my meeting. Don't worry, I'm not walking to another death. And I have back-up this time."_ Looking at her daughters, she said, _"And it seems that she's made contact with Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang. If she was here to kill me or Ruby, she would have already done so by now."_

"Wait, what?" Jaune asked. "Girls, are you okay? Is this like your incident with Crumma all over again, Ruby?"

"Well, yes and no," Ruby confessed. "Yes because she did use the Force to track me down, but no, she didn't attack us. Instead, she... taught us things." Ruby looked at the glass of milk she was going to grab earlier, and held her hand up to it, closed her eyes, and concentrated. Everyone looked at the reaper, but then heard a sliding noise of glass on wood. They saw the milk glass shift a little bit before Ruby lost her concentration and sighed, causing the glass to stop. Everyone stared at Ruby.

"...What the heck?" Nora asked. "I thought your Semblance was speed, and Pyrrha's was the magnet power."

"It is," Pyrrha said. "Ruby, what's going on...?"

"She's exploring her inherited Force powers," Taiyang answered. "Remember, the people of Remnant all can have Auras, but not everyone has theirs unlocked. The Aura and the Force are one and the same, so we're all Force-sensitive. So, it's possible you all can learn how to use the Force. It's just how we use it separates us from the Jedi and Sith. Ruby's been shown things, so she's getting a grip on it." The glass then moved again a few more inches. Taiyang looked at his youngest, who shrugged, revealing her hands were free. The same could be said about Weiss, Blake, and Yang. He then turned to see Pyrrha holding her hand out, and the glass began floating. Pyrrha lost concentration a second later, and the glass nearly fell to the ground if not for Winter's quick grabbing.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Xiao Long and Winter," Pyrrha said. "The way you said it, it sounded like my polarity Semblance, and... well... I wanted to try using it on something not metallic."

_"You know,"_ Summer said, _"of the lot of you, Pyrrha, you and Ruby have the most obvious Semblances that could translate into Force abilities I could teach. Ruby has the speed, you have the telekinesis, both of which are basic. Nora's Semblance of electricity manipulation is also a familiar ability, but... I could never use Force Lightning, so that's a little beyond me. As much as I didn't want you to dive fully into the Force, Ruby, I may not have much choice but to teach you."_

"Speaking of which, Mrs. Rose," Winter asked, "but are you sure this meeting will go well?"

_"Yale Shan is a reasonable woman," _Summer said. _"At least, Master Imperius could talk to her. If the Force is really on my side for once, I can convince the Republic to form a full alliance with us against Crumma."_

"Don't push your luck," Yang advised her mothers. "I spent my life wondering what happened to you two. I don't want to lose either of you because of me and Ruby."

_"Wow, you sound... serious,"_ Raven noticed.

"When it comes to you, Moms," the brawler said, "I'm always serious. Be careful."

Outside of the longue, Qrow smiled at his niece's care for her mothers. "Raven better not ruin Yang's life twice."

"We have to hurry," Goodwitch said as she waited for the elevator.

"What's so damn important that Ozpin would call all of us for?" Qrow said. "Did he finally find out where Cinder scurried off to?"

"The two things I loathe about Summer coming back from the dead is that one, she scared the Dark Maiden away, and two, she brought three intergalactic armies to our doorstep," Goodwitch said. "It's bad enough that because we lost Cinder, we have no idea what's she's doing, but now she has the option of using the Republic and Empire's moves on Vale to make her own moves, since the Council is finally seeing the Republic Ambassador and Darth Mel. They're rightfully scared of both groups because they know that the Republic and Empire, if they brought their full galactic-spanning armies, would destroy us in a matter of hours. With the Mandalorian's confession, we know the Hutt Cartel's interested in Remnant, too. But with what has just occurred, we may have no choice but to accelerate Ozpin's master plan."

"Hope Ozpin's sure about this," Qrow said. "This could backfire in so many ways, I don't even know where to begin." He turned back to the longue, and said, "That Nikos kid could be a good choice, but... is she really emotionally stable enough for it?"

"I hate to volunteer Miss Nikos, but we don't have time anymore to pick a new candidate," Goodwitch said. "With extremists on both Republic and Empire on the planet and with Bal'rog not caring how many bodies he has to slither over over to get petty revenge, we need a new Fall Maiden more than ever before. Heck, we may even need to find the others."

"Summer's gonna _love _this," Qrow shook his head. He then realized something. "Wait, what just happened that's important?" As the elevator arrived, Goodwitch showed her Scroll, with security footage of the airship platform between Beacon and Vale, where dead guards with noticeable burn wounds were loaded into a shipping container. A few guards were still alive, albeit wounded and limping away. Then Quay showed up.

_"Nothing personal, boys and girls,"_ the space pirate snickered, _"but I can't make my approach to this Beacon place in my normal ship without arousing suspicion, and I can't have anyone informing the Spirit of Roses and Raven of Nevermore's brats that I'm coming for them. So yeah, I'm gonna need your silence."_

_"Who is the Spirit of Roses and the Raven of Nevermore?"_ a poor, soon-to-be-dead Faunus guard whimpered.

_"Oh don't worry your pretty little head about that," _Quay smiled at her.

_**BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!**_

The guards dropped dead, and Quay lowered his pistol. He then frowned, _"Damn it, I forgot the one-liner. And upon retrospect, I should really have kept one of them alive to read this non-Aurebesh garbage."_ He then turned towards a death scream. _"Hey, tell me that wasn't the last of the guards in this hangar! I kind remembered none of us can read this 'Remnant English' junk!"_

_"[I thought you said 'no witnesses,' Captain!]" _complained a Rodian as he dragged a body over to stuff in the container.

_"I did, but then I realized we need one person alive long enough to smuggle ourselves onto an airship heading to Beacon."_

_"So what, don't slit this one's throat?"_ a Rattataki woman asked, holding a man with a vibroknife.

_"At least not yet,"_ the pirate captain sadistically grinned. He then turned towards the camera, and blasted it, ending the feed.

* * *

**Island of Patch, Summer's Grave****—08:58**

Summer looked at the epitaph on the headstone, tears on her face. "So, this is where Taiyang buried what he could find of me," she mused.

"[Grave=empty,]" R0 reminded her. "[R0=not detecting non-functioning body inside. R0=detecting lightsaber technology within it.]"

"I know it's empty people-wise," Summer said, "but it's a reminder of one of my many, many failures, and my sins. Perhaps even my greatest. A reminder that I will never be free of my past or Crumma until the day one of us dies for good. I _**should**_ be in this grave, and the people of Titan's Claw _**should**_ be alive. They did nothing to deserve Crumma's wrath... yet he killed them all anyway. Just because I lived here on Remnant and Crumma cannot let go of his hatred, because I'm responsible for his cybernetic body. A village—no, a PLANET—should never suffer for the past actions of an individual."

"That's insightful, Master Summer," Naywi said. "But... don't most Sith who engage in revenge take it to extremes like this?"

"Unfortunately," Summer replied. "Most Sith who pursue revenge will stop at nothing to achieve it, and they will plow through as many worlds as they deem necessary to do so. Some in the past even went to make the whole Republic suffer for the actions of a couple Jedi trying to stop them from committing evil."

"So why didn't you engage in revenge against the Republic?" Naywi questioned. Summer blinked at the comment. "If the legends are true, the Republic killed your family. Yet you never went on a full rampage."

"I was a sixteen-year-old girl when I first found out why I became a slave," Summer replied. "Other than my training, my Force abilities, my Master and foster father, and R0, I had nothing to really work with. Even if I did, I knew from growing up on Alderaan that revenge wasn't worth it... if anything I feared for my life more at the moment I found out I was one of the last Himuras. There are some people go out of their way to completely kill off families, so I didn't want to make myself an even bigger target by trying to take revenge. Once Darth Imperius died... I knew I had no safety net, nobody in power to look after me. It's deplorable, but I ran to Remnant, mainly just to stay alive. The other part being completing the mission Imperius and I imposed on ourselves. Meeting my future husband and some good friends was a plus."

"What does it say?" Naywi asked as she looked at the stone.

"Forgot you can't read Remnant English yet," Summer recalled as she knelt down. As she closed her eyes, the ex-Sith explained, "It says, 'Thus Kindly I Scatter'. Taiyang had once shared the line with me, and I loved it." Naywi, unsure of what else to do, joined her newfound Master in meditation.

R0 promised, "[R0=stay alert for Republic. R0=arming blaster port just in case.]" The droid then popped out its blaster.

A few minutes passed before footsteps approached them. Yale Shan walked out of the forest, with Citarhi, Kombu, and Commander Steele at her side. The beeping of R0 broke the ex-Sith and the Padawan out of their meditation to see their guests. "Natsumi Himura," Yale said. "It's been a long time."

"Indeed it has," Summer replied. "Welcome to where I died."

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: And thus, the set-up for a lot of things has begun. I think I've set up at least a few fights these past couple chapters. Again, I'm really sorry for the delay between this and the previous chapter. I would talk about what went down, here, but you probably already know. Team RWBY (and at least Pyrrha of Team JNPR) have begun exploring the Force, Taiyang and Winter are now at Beacon serving as mentors, Qrow's training of Teams RWBY and JNPR is delayed by Quay returning to be an asshole, Summer and Yale Shan meet up, and Ruby vs. Kebiin will FINALLY happen next chapter. This is a fight that I have had planned for much of the story, now, and it's so far the only original fight from earlier drafts that I've kept completely in-tact (save for Taiyang serving as the watcher of the combat class). I'm excited for it.

Anyway, since you've all been really patient with me, I'll get to the reviews.

**Redemption's Avenger:** Hey, we can have the occasional omnicidal maniac here. But he won't make the hero's victory easy.

**laynewarner10:** Aw, thanks for sending the two OCs in as Darth's Mel's apprentices. However, if I use them (not saying I will but if I do), I may have to downgrade their ranks. Fair warning, and I know _Star Wars _has their Force-users normally start young (unless you're the main characters of the movies), but if they're both teenagers, they would not have the same level of experience one would expect of Darths and Lords just yet. Hope you don't take that too badly, but I wanted to be semi-realistic with age and experience.

**RedemptionWarrior:** This is a story basically about open first-contact between at least four different groups (the people of Remnant, the Republic, the Empire, and the galactic criminal underworld). I want there to be those who are trying to be diplomatic about things (like Grengit, Yale, and Asasha from the Republic, Mel from the Empire, Summer who represents Remnant (despite not being from Remnant)), others who wish to tilt the world in their favor (Cinder, Ozpin's group, some folks in the Republic, Mel (again), Cipher 13), and others who say "f*ck politics, let's do this" (some Huntsmen will be like this, Raven is actually like this, Crumma is this, Rumwash is too, Bal'rog and the Hutt Cartel are this, some Mandalorians will like a warrior's approach, and even some Republic people will be like this). Everyone has a different opinion about Remnant's place in the universe, and that's the beauty and tragedy of it. It reflects real life. That's why despite how confusing things are, I keep stacking everyone's involvement. This is a conflict Ozpin can not keep hush-hush like he tried to do with the secret war he was waging with Cinder and Salem in canon because nobody can ignore an open alien invasion from powers they've never heard of with advanced weaponry.

**infernoXray:** I'm sorry, I'm not exactly familiar with Kamen Rider or Ultraman.

**DaManWOFear:** The thing is I hate discussing real-world politics in person, but I do find myself using fictional politics a lot in my stories. But this is basically a story that has political overtones simply because we find ourselves in a war story with two governments and a crime syndicate scrambling over a territory to control to turn the war in their favor, but the locals of the territory have something to say.

As for Penny, after her and Pyrrha being killed off by Rooster Teeth (until Volume 4 proves Pyrrha can come back and with Atlas no longer being able to trust their droid soldiers because of Cinder's virus, it's safer for me at least to assume both of them are killed off for real in canon), of course I'm going to make good use of her. She's one of Ruby's good friends, and Ironwood giving her the ability to ruin the days of Jedi and Sith alike, she's gonna be a kind of badass when she fights actual Jedi and Sith.

And Salem... hmm, that will be interesting. I want to see Salem's full power set before we have that confrontation. Can Crumma dominate her? But now, we'll focus on Mel vs. Cinder.

**A.K.b00m:** Am I that predictable with my war arc? But yeah, I want to build up on the heartwarming, because this may actually be the one Star Wars universe story where the parent-child relationship (the Roses) isn't estranged or hostile. I like feel-good moments... possibly more than Rooster Teeth does.

**Darth Stimga:** I'm sorry for the delay. Long list of issues.

**Gabriel H. Sapphire:** Thanks.

Alright, I'm gonna go before my computer overheats and shuts off again. Farewell, subjects, and have a happy Father's Day!


	13. Chapter 13: Guess the Reference

A/N: Hey guys, Kingdom Writer92, back from the dead. Sorry about this past literal dry season. A lot of stuff happened (work, school work, getting a new laptop, getting ready to study for the Praxis, my cousin getting married, my brother moving out), but you guys don't really care that much about it. You want some Huntress vs. Mandalorian action, right? Well, this fight is just for you! Ruby vs. Kebiin! Oh, and don't forget to read my notes.

So yeah, without further delay, a bit of Summer talking with Yale, and some Ruby vs. Kebiin! Oh, and Penny comes back, too.

* * *

**Island of Patch—Cliffside Altar**

"How long has it been?" Yale asked. "Twenty years since we last spoke face-to-face? You looked so exhausted and hurt back then."

"I did just kill the Emperor of the Sith Empire AND a professional Mandalorian Jedi-killer on Mandalore's then level in rapid succession, on top of their respective crews who didn't retreat," Summer recalled. "Of course I was hurting and exhausted."

"I meant exhausted and hurting emotionally and spiritually," Yale clarified. "Ashura'grey was like a mother to you, and you did flat-out called Captain Riggs 'Papa'. You got your revenge on your foster family's murderers… but you still looked so defeated. You learned that it wasn't satisfying."

"You're the only person still alive who calls Darth Imperius her real name," Summer smiled. "She always did love you, Master Shan, even if you never returned the feelings for Jedi reasons or your obliviousness in matters of the heart." She sighed. "I'll admit, a small part of me wanted revenge on both of those of those monsters that day… but I realized it was more to it than that. I knew how if either of those men walked away from that ship, they would make hundreds, if not thousands suffer, since my rival in the Great Hunt was a sociopath who wanted to take over the Mandalorians and turn them into conquerors the likes not seen since the Mandalorian Wars, and Maxdi was a war tyrant who was going to destroy Coruscant and kill millions, if not billions of innocent people. I don't know if you spared me after the battle because of whatever debts you owed Imperius, because I saved your life by warning you of what was going to happen, or because how pathetic I looked after accepting the fact that this was twice now I lost a family."

"I have my reasons, and I genuinely thought you wouldn't be a threat if not harassed," Yale said. "That look you gave said you'd leave it alone if we didn't follow you back to your new home. Considering the fact that you defeated the Emperor, several Republic and Imperial strike teams, some of the best Mandalorians, and a Jedi Master who I would admit was stronger than me, I think it's clear what we were up against if we pressed the issue." Looking at Naywi, she asked, "Well, Padawan? What would you say? Is Natsumi Himura a threat to the Republic?"

"Huh?" the Padawan blinked, looking at the Grand Master. "Well… I'm not going to lie, she's powerful enough to be a threat. But she just wants to be left alone with her family."

"Are you sure, Summer?" Ozpin asked. Summer blinked as the Emerald Wizard walked out of the woods, holding his cane. In a joking manner, he asked, "Not thinking of sitting on that Imperial throne? It has to be comfier than my desk chair."

"Ozpin!" Summer huffed. "You know quite well I liked Remnant better than Dromund Kaas. Why would I prefer an eternally gloomy rainforest world with pointy metal buildings, constant thunderstorms, and a bunch of crazy Force-using zealots who want to stab me in the back when I could relax on a nice, sunny-looking world, and spend my retirement from that life not having to look over my shoulder while killing the occasional giant monster that attacked?"

"That's your idea of retirement?" Oriole asked.

"We all have our hobbies," Summer said. "And if it's not fighting you all, why should you care about how I spend my time?"

"I don't know," Ozpin shrugged. "But Summer, Darth Mel thinks you'd be perfect for the job. She wants you on the Sith Throne, and she's appealing to your daughters' team and myself to help it happen." The Spirit of Roses' eyes went blank at that. "As your friend, I thought you should know what you're getting into."

"You have a Dark Councilor in your back pocket?" Oriole asked.

"Blast it," Summer muttered. "Well… she's sort of an ally." Turning to Yale, she awkwardly said, "I swear, I didn't know Mel wanted on my side."

"And yet, she's appealed to you and the people of Remnant," Citarhi said, speaking up for the first time. The white-cloaked ex-Sith sweat dropped. "I'm sorry, Natsumi, but it kind of looks bad, old friend."

"This is going to be a problem with trying to get an alliance going to stop Crumma, isn't it?" Summer asked, looking nervous.

"I'll admit, Natsumi," Kombu said, "allying ourselves with a Dark Councilor is a dangerous move. Darth Mel herself has killed plenty of Jedi, even if she's the newest member of the Dark Council."

_"But Crumma has to be stopped,"_ a voice said. Everyone turned to Steele, who had a holocom with Asasha Bi on it. _"The Jedi are right that trusting an active Dark Councilor is not what I was thinking when the Raven sent us these coordinates saying you wished to form an alliance against the Emperor… let alone putting you in charge. But from my reports in the Republic Embassy we've managed to establish in Vale, Mel hasn't been actively terrorizing your people, and she's been... civil with Ambassador Grengit. Just answering questions the Vale Council has about the galaxy at large."_

"How did both factions set up embassies that fast!?" Summer asked. "I know the Vale Council is probably fearing Republic and Imperial bombardment if they don't play ball, but… wow."

_"We were given a couple buildings to use in the city,"_ Asasha said. _"Grengit may not be human, but he's a smooth talker, if you saw his interview."_

"That plus he had a Wookie mercenary as his bodyguard," Oriole said.

"That would do it," Steele agreed.

"Alright, fine, I'll forgive the embassies," Summer groaned. "Just as long as you agree to NOT glass Remnant."

_"Orbital bombardment is strictly prohibited by the Taris Pact of Warfare,_" Blu Gil said as he came into the conversation. _"Even if it wasn't, that would be too many civilians caught in the crossfire for the Republic to stomach. Granted, not everyone in the Republic sees Remnant positively because you've lived here for years, we would reasonably try to limit casualties should this erupt into violence."_

"Well thank you for that," Summer sighed.

"If anything, the Hutt Cartel is the real threat," Ozpin replied. "Bal'rog's back, Summer."

"He's back, too?" Summer questioned.

_"I'm sorry,"_ Asasha asked, _"but… who are you?"_

"You may know the name 'Ozpin'," the Emerald Wizard replied. "Back twenty years ago, I was a close friend of Summer's. Nowadays, I'm just a Headmaster at Beacon, and I'm one of the people directly responsible for any and all of Summer's children's training."

"What's this about Bal'rog?" Summer demanded.

"He put a 10,000,000 Credit bounty on your daughter," Ozpin asked.

"WHAT!?"

* * *

**Beacon Academy—Combat Classroom—11:30**

"Penny!" Ruby cheered at her friend as she walked in the room with her teammates and Team JNPR.

"Ruby!" Penny beamed. The marionette swordswoman ran over and picked Ruby up in a bone-crushing hug.

"Why…?" Ruby groaned.

"Oh, it's the weird girl," Weiss whispered.

"I'm sorry, who is she?" Nora asked.

"Penny," Blake said. "We talked to Ruby's Mom about her. She and Ruby are close friends. For some reason. Other than that, all we really know about her is that she helped us stop Torchwick and the White Fang from stealing a Dust shipment and she's from Atlas."

"That is true, Blake!" Penny beamed as she put down a whimpering Ruby. She looked at Pyrrha. "...So, you are Pyrrha Nikos?"

"Y-yes…?" Pyrrha answered.

"Salutations!" Penny grinned. "It's nice to meet you! I'm Penny!"

"Uh huh…" Pyrrha said, shaking the girl's hand. She blinked at the grip. '(This feeling… it was just like when I fought Mercury. Why am I sensing metal? Is something wrong with Penny?)'

"Su cuy'gar, Pyrrha and Jaune," Kebiin said from behind them, breaking Pyrrha's thought process. The group looked to see the Mandalorian teen wearing his combat armor. Penny slowly let go of Pyrrha's hand. "So, this is the arena? Not as big as the ones on Mandalore or even the Gormak Palace on Voss. But it'll do."

"...Um… who are you?" Ren asked.

"Kebiin Ordo," Jaune said. "Pyrrha and I met him yesterday." Penny scowled at Kebiin. The Mandalorian noticed the glare.

"I take it you know why I'm here," Kebiin said, knowing why she would identify him as a threat.

"Yes," Penny said.

"Huh?" Ruby asked, looking between the newcomer and her friend. "What's going on…?" Two of Penny's swords emerged from her back.

"Ruby, Pyrrha, I recommend you keep a safe distance from this bounty hunter," Penny said. "I will handle him and any Jedi or Sith that come your way."

"Huh!?" Weiss asked. "Wait, you mean you… you KNOW about the Jedi and Sith!?"

"Interesting," Kebiin said, looking at Penny up and down. He grabbed his blaster pistol. "Maybe I should challenge you, first."

"You can try, Mandalorian," Penny beamed. "But I must warn you: I know several ways to deal with Mandalorians."

"Ahem," a female voice said. The group, save for Penny and Kebiin, turned to see Artemis and Jadecal. "Greetings again, Ruby Rose."

"Oh, Jadecal! Artemis!" Ruby beamed. "Nice to—"

_**SHING! SHING! CLICK-CLICK.**_

"...see… you…." Ruby lamely finished as Kebiin and Penny, without even looking at the two Padawans, drew their weapons and pointed them at them. The two Jedi instantly pulled their lightsabers out in surprise.

"Stay out of this, jetti," the Mandalorian said.

"Yes, please leave this conversation," Penny smiled. "I'd rather focus on one threat to Ruby at a time."

"What is a Mandalorian doing here?" Artemis asked. "One from Clan Ordo, no less?"

"Looking for a fight," Kebiin bluntly answered. "This is something overdue."

"Wait, what's going on?" Ruby asked.

"Indeed," a male voice spoke up. The group looked to see a pair of newcomers wearing black cloaks.

"Sith!?" Jadecal asked.

"Now, let's be calm about this," the female cloaked figure taunted. "Darth Mel asked us to keep an eye on things here. And we'd hate to disappoint our mistress because we were expelled for… violence. But we have to ask, what are you talking about?"

"Short version, sis," Yang said, keeping an eye on the other three factions, "you have a bounty on your head. By an alien gangster."

"What!?" Ruby asked.

"She does?" Artemis asked.

"Yes, keep up," Penny nodded.

"The Hutt wants you alive," Kebiin said. "Most likely as a trophy or a slave."

"So the rumors are true," the girl Sith smirked. "Bal'rog grew a spine. Bad time for that."

"How did you know about this?" Jaune asked Penny.

"A good ear," Penny smiled, only to have a hiccup.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Winter spoke up as she and Taiyang walked into the room, "please have a seat. And for god's sake, put your weapons away and keep them away until your fight!" Penny sheathed her blades, Kebiin reluctantly put down his blaster, and the four Force-users put their lightsabers away. Penny gently grabbed Ruby's wrist and led her and her team to the side. Team JNPR awkwardly followed.

"That was strange," Ren said, sitting down. "Is anyone here NOT somehow connected to the galaxy that we just recently found out existed?"

"Well, my mom is an ex-bounty hunter abducted by aliens," Yang listed, "Ruby and Pyrrha have Force powers AND Ruby's mom is an ex-Sith, Ruby's mom is apparently good friends with Vomit Boy's parents and he has a sword that stopped Rumwash cold, Weiss seems to have some bad blood she didn't know about with the Empire, Penny's suddenly aware of this, and… yeah, I think that's it."

"I don't have any connection?" Nora pouted.

Meanwhile, Taiyang and Winter walked to the front, much to the confusion of the student body. Emerald and Mercury, on behalf of Cinder, were attending class to gather information on the foreign visitors. "Who's that handsome devil?" Emerald asked, looking at Taiyang.

"Really?" Mercury asked. "You think he's hot, and not ME?"

"Shut-up," Emerald scoffed. "You sell yourself too much. Still, who the heck is that?"

"_Taiyang Xiao Long,"_ Cinder whispered in her earpiece. "_The fourth member of Team STRQ, Father to Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long. They're all on the board."_

"Wait, he's the bimbo and Little Red's dad?" Emerald asked. "...Wow, talk about DILF."

"_Yes he is, but remember why you're here,"_ Cinder said. _"Observe and report. __I'll handle my part."_

"What about the big guy?" Mercury asked.

"_I'm already on the move,"_ Adam said. "_We'll deal with Ironwood's ship and start the rescue. Remember: Blake is mine to deal with. Anyone else is fair game."_

"Got it, already," Mercury waved off.

Taiyang finally spoke up, "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm proud to be here, today. Now, for those of you who came here from Signal, I'm glad to see you made it through your first year relatively in tact. For my girls… hi, again!"

"Hi, Dad!" Ruby and Yang waved.

"He's your dad!?" a female student from Shade Academy asked. "Holy crap, your dad's hot!"

Taiyang nervously laughed while Ruby and Yang groaned. "For those of you who don't know who I am, though, I'm Mr. Taiyang Xiao Long. And yes, I'm a Huntsman who teaches at Signal. You've most likely met my other teammate, Qrow. We're in-laws, by the way. As for this lovely young woman next to me, this is Atlesian Specialist, Winter Schnee."

"Yes," Winter said. "Let me get this out of the way: yes, I am Weiss' elder sister, and yes, I answer to General Ironwood. No, you do not have my permission to date my sister. And no, you cannot hit on me." She eyed a certain blue-haired young man from Haven, who gulped. "Now, for those of you wondering what we are doing here, well, your combat teacher, Prof. Goodwitch, had an emergency, and Qrow and the General were called to help. Mr. Xiao Long volunteered to oversee the class in her absence and offer critiques in your techniques before the second set of missions for you all begin, and I asked to help him. Had we not, you all would probably not be in class. Are there any questions?" Several hands sprang up. Winter, noticing they were mainly female, asked, "Any questions that do NOT pertain to Mr. Xiao Long's marital status?" Several hands went down while Ruby and Yang collapsed in disappointment and disgust at their classmates.

"Well, that escalated quickly," Taiyang said. He spotted a hand. "Alright, you? Mr…."

"Mercury Black," the assassin smirked. "Now, have you noticed something… strange about the room, today?"

"Are you talking about the students that are NOT on the roster?" Taiyang asked. The band of off-worlders all looked up at that. "I wasn't going to bring it up as long as they followed the rules, but… yeah, I noticed. Winter here had to break up a potential fight."

"With that said," Winter continued, "to our… newcomers, please refrain from fighting, let alone killing each other or other students on campus. I've been informed that you are all at war with each other outside of Remnant. But as of stepping on this campus, you're representatives of your respective societies. So any petty hostility better have been left on whatever means you got here."

"We'll play nice if the Jedi do," the male Sith commented.

"We'll adhere to your guidelines as well," Jadecal promised.

"I won't pick any pointless fights," Kebiin said.

"That's somewhat reassuring," Winter said. "If any of you step out of line, though, I will remind you. This is your first and last warning." Turning to everyone, she said, "Now, as a reminder to everyone, we are doing Vytal Festival tournament rules. The fights are decided by Aura level, surrender, or ring-out. For our newcomers, this means that we will be doing a quick scan of you to get an idea of how much your body's durability that wouldn't be lethal to a Hunter attack… for our Mandalorian, it's just your armor, as for our Force-users, it's how Mr. Xiao Long can best translate your power into Aura. We are adding an additional third rule, since we are trying to get through as many duels as possible. Each duel can only last up to five minutes. When we hit the five minute count, we will stop the duel ourselves, and decide it by remaining Aura level."

Mercury seemed to accept the answer, and Cinder, from her location, smirked that she'd get a decent read on the off worlders' weakest members. Ruby, meanwhile, glanced around the room. She looked at Artemis and Jadecal. She had seen them in action, before, but she was surprised they were actually in Beacon. The three newcomers, meanwhile, were not that far off in scary. Kebiin seemed armed to the teeth, but keeping an eye on Ruby while taking small glances at the Jedi and Sith. Speaking of the Sith, the male one seemed calm, lowering his hood to reveal his face. The girl, however, kept her hood on, but seemed twitchy. The two Sith apprentices took glances at Mercury and Emerald, who looked at them. And Penny, who was normally sweet and adorkable, was seconds away from summoning her swords again.

They all seemed to take small looks at Ruby, which made her suddenly nervous. She was starting to sense things about each of them. Even her friend, Emerald, had something sinister about her… which was really strange.

Pyrrha, meanwhile, was feeling Ruby's nerves pick up. She too, sensed the great amount of tension in the room. Weiss, Blake, and Yang also looked around, but a bit more subtlely than Ruby and Pyrrha. They all were worried, yes, but they let themselves relax a bit. Ruby and Pyrrha, however, could not do that. Jaune frowned at his two redheaded friends… it was obvious they were worried. Was it about the amount of people here for Ruby? Was it the glass incident? Was it something else?

Emerald, looking at Ruby, muttered, "Sure seems that Ruby's the eye of this storm. But something seems… strange about her. Her and Nikos."

"_Strange how…?"_

"She's never been this nervous," Emerald said. "Almost as if she's about to make her first lift. That's dangerous for everyone involved. But however… it's almost as if she can sense she's the source of tension in this room. And it's… hurting her. Nikos senses the tension, too. There is a lot of emotion boiling over, here."

"_Don't tell me you've actually gotten sentimental about her this past semester,"_ Cinder scowled. "_Remember: in the original plan, Little Red and her team were just going to be allowed to live long enough to clear the path of identifying Ozpin's next Fall Maiden candidate, giving me access to find where he put Amber, during the Vytal Festival. As soon as they did that, they and everyone else in this school were going to die, to mark the end of the Huntsmen. Ozpin is so predictable… he'd never trust another young woman who wasn't strong enough to start training to fight me, but young and manipulable enough for him to control to be the Fall Maiden. It is just another way for the Huntsmen and Councils to flex their powers."_

"What if one of them became the Maiden?" Emerald asked. Cinder laughed.

"_Team RWBY is cute, and while it is surprising that Ozpin let in a 15-year-old in, there is no way she's mature enough to be his next Maiden. The Schnee is also too bratty to bare that level of responsibility. Adam's ex is too mysterious for him or anyone in power to reasonably trust, and he'd sooner die than have two rogue Fall Maidens to deal with. And nobody sane would trust an irresponsible, reckless firecracker like Yang Xiao Long with the powers of a demigoddess. If anything, now I'm forced to prepare for the Emperor, I can't use them before Ozpin will be forced to rush his decision at best or move the Maiden at worst. In short, they've outlived their usefulness to me except for one reason."_

"So, what is this one reason that am I not capturing or taking them out?" Mercury asked. "I can take the whole team down right after class. Say the word, and they're done."

"_No," _Cinder denied. "_The only reason they're still alive after I had been forced to change tactics was because I don't want Ruby's mother to have another reason to go after me before I'm ready to strike. Ruby Rose will remain happy, alive, and ignorant until dear old mommy is finally dead for good. Then she'll join Summer Rose in the afterlife… or she won't and she'll serve me as a little pawn. So whatever you two do, make sure these off-worlders don't kill her. The more focus Summer puts on her daughter, the less eyes she has on me."_

"Fine," Emerald sighed, sitting back.

"Alright," Taiyang said aloud. "So, how does Glynda normally pick candidates for sparring?"

"It's by volunteer, mostly," Cardin smirked. "Although we can challenge another student."

"Glad to see that hasn't changed," Taiyang nodded. "So, any volunteers?" A hand instantly shot up. "Yes… what's your name, again?"

"You know my clan name, Sun Dragon," Kebiin said. "Ordo. My birth name is Kebiin."

"Okay, then," Taiyang said. '(Is it just me, or are Mandalorians a lot more eager than my youth?)'

"I can challenge anyone, right?" the young Mandalorian asked. Taiyang nodded. Kebiin walked forward, putting on his helmet. As soon as he stepped in the arena, he turned to face the group while Taiyang and Winter activated a small scanner to see his armor durability. He pointed a finger to the sky, before turning to the whole class. "Vi kelir akaanir jii, ad be Clan Himura!"

The Jedi and Sith looked up at this declaration. Taiyang visibly bristled at the words. Winter raised an eyebrow at Taiyang's sudden tension, but followed his eyesight, and understood why he was afraid: her sister's partner. Mercury leaned forward, wondering what just happened, while Emerald blinked in confusion at another language. Penny, having been equipped with a universal translator, knew exactly what Kebiin said, and was about to stand up to defend the challenged. The challenged individual's own teammates and even their friends all turned in concern for them. But the person who Kebiin called out, who at least understood "Clan Himura", answered the call.

Ruby slowly rose, her hood over her head as she grabbed Crescent Rose, unfurling the weapon right before standing across from Kebiin. A lot of young Huntsmen and Huntresses-in-training were confused by Ruby answering Kebiin's challenge, while Kebiin brandished his vibroblades. Winter activated the small arena's invisible barrier, keeping in mind the students.

"A scythe?" he asked while they circled each other. "Not a jetii'kad?"

"Huh?" Ruby questioned.

"Lightsaber," Kebiin translated.

"Well, we only have one," Ruby said, "and Weiss has it."

"You still have that?" Pyrrha asked the heiress, who pulled out the weapon and placed it on the desk.

"We tried turning it in, yesterday," Weiss assured her. "But Prof. Ozpin told us to keep it, just in case. He also mentioned 'Besides, we already have one'."

"Well," Kebiin said to Ruby, "different weapon, similar tactics." He sunk into a fighting stance. "Akaanir ti ijaat, ad be Himura."

"I don't really know what that means," Ruby bluntly replied as she took her own stance, "but good luck to you, Mr. Scary mask guy."

"Ruby," Taiyang said, looking at the two. "Are you sure about this?"

"Dad, I'll be fine," Ruby smiled. "I'll be strong."

"Well said," Kebiin agreed.

Taiyang sighed, backing up. His youngest was growing up, and although he'd like to help her, he knew Ruby had to sink or swim on her own. He let the screen display the two fighters, hoping Ruby would be okay. "Ruby Rose vs. Kebiin Ordo. Three… two… one… Fight!"

Ruby rushed at Kebiin, scythe ready. The Mandalorian clashed his swords against the scythe blade. While Ruby wasn't surprised that Kebiin could block her attack, even with her using her speed Semblance, she WAS surprised at how little ground he gave. Even her quicker reflexed opponents would either dodge or get pushed back a little, but Kebiin stood there, tanking the blow. And with his helmet in the way, she couldn't even see his reaction.

"Ruby's in over her head," Penny whispered, looking at Kebiin push back, forcing the reaper to retreat a bit to avoid his attack. "Mandalorians may lack Force sensitivity or even Aura, but they make up for it in general super toughness and plenty of firepower. They've killed plenty of Jedi and Sith before, and have constantly allied with the Sith simply BECAUSE they feel Jedi are better opponents. She just fell right into Kebiin's trap."

As if to prove Penny right, Kebiin took this opportunity to pull out his blaster, and open fire. Ruby, seeing as her weapon could not block plasma, had little choice but dodge the attacks, which made the Mandalorian press even harder. A lot of the audience was beginning to fear for not just Ruby, but for their own safety, as Kebiin made no attempts to control where he shot as long as it was in Ruby's general direction. If not for the barrier set up, a few people would have actually been injured, if not killed, by Kebiin's attacks.

"Okay, two questions," Blake said, looking at Penny's super focus. "One, how do you know so much about Mandalorians? And two, why are you a sudden expert on intergalactic warriors?"

"I am a quick study," Penny smiled, although with a small hiccup. The rest of Team RWBY and Team JNPR did not want to comment, but they were suspicious of the girl.

Back in the fight, Ruby, desperate to gain some ground in this fight, switched her speed Semblance back on, rushing Kebiin in a flurry of rose petals and using her recoil to gain some significant speed. She actually managed to slash him, sending him stumbling back, but he stood up quickly. Her attack failed to draw blood, simply because Kebiin's armor was incredibly thick, but it won her a brief respite from constant blasterfire. She swung again, but Kebiin dodged, and pressed a button on his right wrist. Ruby saw a small spark of flames on the small barrel on the Mandalorian's wrist, but with her overextended attack, she had little time to dodge. And sadly, a little was not enough time to avoid being hit point blank with a flamethrower.

"Oh, that is SO not fair!" Nora complained while Yang stared in horror as her sister was engulfed in flames. "How many weapons can he have!?"

"A Mandalorian Mercenary?" Penny answered, sharing Yang's horror. "Their whole armor is a weapon. Heavy blaster pistols, vibroblades, wrist mounted flamethrower and rocket launcher, and a limited time jetpack."

"Wait, a jetpack?" Pyrrha asked. "That's a little overkill."

"It's all necessary," Penny replied. "Mandalorians are considered the greatest non-Force sensitive warriors in the galaxy for their resourcefulness, armor, and weaponry. Ruby's in for quite the fight if she lets it drag out too long."

Thanks to her Aura, she avoided being incinerated, but it still hurt a great deal as she slid across the floor. Taiyang looked upwards at Ruby's dropping Aura levels… she was at 56 percent and falling. Ruby weakly got up, her dress and cloak covered in soot, but surprisingly none the worse for wear, save for being out of breath. She looked to see that she no longer had her scythe, but Kebiin picked it up and was examining the weapon.

"Interesting," Kebiin said. "Most opponents would have burned to death if I did that. You endured. Mandalore should have discovered Remnant decades ago."

"Mandalore?" Ruby asked.

"My buir." Kebiin then ran at Ruby, trying to bring her scythe down on her. Ruby was faster than her opponent, avoiding the attack. The redhead then tried to hit him, but she found out quickly that punching a young man wearing a super thick helmet made of metal several times stronger and heavier than titanium was not a good idea, and she weakly flailed her left hand to lessen the pain. Her teammates placed their hands on their faces.

"Wait, what?" Jaune asked.

"The biggest problem with Ruby's fighting style, Arc," Weiss explained, "is that she is only good with a weapon in her hand. Otherwise, she's super weak."

"What!?" all four members of Team JNPR gasped.

"She's only good with a weapon?" Ren asked.

"Yang has the same problem," Blake added. "She's only good at punching."

"Hey!" Yang frowned.

Back in the fight, Kebiin, deciding enough was enough, threw Crescent Rose at Ruby's feet. "Come on," Kebiin said, drawing his blades. Ruby saw the gesture, and grabbed her scythe again. Kebiin activated his jetpack, and flew at her. The reaper dodged the charge, and while she was awed by Kebiin's ability to fly, she switched her weapon to sniper mode, shooting at Kebiin. The Mandalore avoided each of the shots, and flew at her again. This time, Ruby was ready, and blocked the swords, actually beginning to parry Kebiin's attacks and score some hits on him, reducing his armor's durability.

"She's got him!" Yang smiled. "That's my little sister!"

"Alright," Taiyang said, "just keep the pressure on, Little Rose…."

"It seems that your fatherly paranoia was not necessary," Winter said.

"I can't stop worrying, though," Taiyang told her. "Kebiin's outsmarted Ruby this entire fight. He wouldn't let her get hits in unless… oh shoot."

"What?" Winter asked.

Right before Ruby could make a deciding blow, Kebiin grabbed the barrel of Crescent Rose with his left hand right as Ruby pulled the trigger. To almost everyone but Kebiin's surprise, the bullet pierced the hand. But rather than blood, sparks emerged from the warrior's hand, and wiring was exposed. Ruby looked in surprise, but Kebiin didn't seem to care, instead lining up his left wrist to Ruby's body, where a red light flickered on her stomach. Ruby, panicked, let go of Crescent Rose, and reached behind her. But it was too late.

_**BOOM!**_

Ruby was launched backwards, smoke trailing off her, as her Aura was reduced to low yellow, about 30 percent. The reaper landed, near the edge of the arena, while Kebiin looked at his now exposed artificial arm.

"Haar'chak," he swore. "Underestimated the amount of damage that would do."

"RUBY!" the reaper's friends and sister all yelled.

"That was surprising," the Sith female said. "No wonder Darth Mel asked us to keep an eye on her… the true Princess of the Sith is this weak?"

"Patience," the male Sith replied. Looking at the two bars representing Ruby's Aura vs. Kebiin's armor durability, Kebiin was also a good blow away from defeat. "She still has a chance."

"A small chance, if that bar is right," the girl said. "She has just about a quarter of it left."

"If Ruby doesn't get back up," Penny whispered, "she'll lose…."

Meanwhile, Kebiin turned to Crescent Rose, and kicked it away. "Gar ru'akaanir pirusti," Kebiin said to Ruby's prone body. "But it wasn't enough to beat me. There's no dishonor in defeat." He walked towards her.

Winter turned to Taiyang. "You're going to call this, right?"

"I can't," Taiyang denied. Looking at his clock, he said, "The father in me wants to call it, but the Huntsman in me can't call it. There is still about a minute on the clock before I can call time. And Ruby's not only still in the ring, but she still has enough Aura."

Emerald looked at Kebiin. She clenched her hands, preparing her Semblance. '(Cinder DID order Ruby kept alive, for now… and he isn't able to use Aura, so he'll be weak.)'

Mercury grabbed and lowered her hands. "Not yet."

"What are you doing!?" Emerald whispered.

"I should be asking you that question," Mercury said. "He hasn't made an actual Aura-breaking kill shot, yet. Besides, if you wasted your powers on a little boo-boo, I'd say your getting soft."

"Damn it, Mercury…!" Emerald growled.

Back with Team RWBY and Team JNPR, Jaune's hand twitched while the girls were horrified. "We… we need to stop this!" He said.

"We can't," Pyrrha declined, although pained. "The conditions to bring the barricade down haven't been met. I have seen fights just like this."

"We have to wait until the barrier falls," Penny frowned. "If the Mandalorian tries to take Ruby afterwards, then we can strike."

"My sister is about to die!" Yang protested.

"You don't think I know that!?" Pyrrha said, tears in her eyes. "That your father doesn't knows that!? He would have acted if he could!"

Yang looked at her father, who was gritting his teeth, mainly at himself. She closed her eyes, and clenched her hands. '(Ruby… get up…!)'

All of them, however, missed the shaking of a particular object on Weiss' desk. They also missed the twitch from the prone form of Ruby.

Meanwhile, Kebiin looked down at Ruby. He then pulled his blaster, and aimed it. "This shouldn't kill, but it will sting."

Before he could pull the trigger, Ruby, sat up, clearly wounded, but active, and reached behind her. '(Mom… forgive me!)' Ruby apologized, knowing her mother wouldn't approve of what happened next. The team's lightsaber, meanwhile, answered her call, flying through the air.

_**CRRSH!**_

Ruby's left hand was occupied by the weapon, and the familiar red plasma beam emerged to intercept and deflect the blaster bolt skyward as a small hole appeared in the barrier. She then stood up, taking a stance that Yale taught her in her dream scape: Ataru. Kebiin, meanwhile barely switched to one of his vibroblade before Ruby clashed her blade with his. Ruby and Kebiin then began to duel with the blades.

"Whoa," Sun said in surprise. He and the rest of Team SSSN were initially worried about Ruby, but after her sudden display, and her quickness with the weapon against Kebiin, he was rooting for her, again.

Meanwhile, Artemis and Jadecal were impressed. "That degree of power… it's untrained, but it has potential," Jadecal breathed.

"We will need to report to the Masters," Artemis agreed.

"I see I was wrong," the female Sith complained. "The Spirit of Roses' daughter could, in time, be a worthy princess."

"That is what Darth Mel thinks," the male said. "Let's watch some more."

Emerald looked up at the sudden technique. "Holy crap, when the heck was she able to do that!?"

"This chapter in this bad fanfic, I guess," Mercury answered.

Meanwhile, Penny continued watching the fight, tension on her face. "Ruby… she can use the Force?"

"That wasn't you?" Nora asked Pyrrha. The Spartan warrior shook her head.

"No… it wasn't me."

Back in the fight, Ruby managed to force Kebiin backwards, using a combination of her speed with sword skills she didn't even know she had. Kebiin, although unreadable with the mask on, seemed to falter, especially since Ruby's close range had forced him to rely solely on his right hand, which judging by how he struggled, Ruby had to guess was his off-hand. Kebiin tried to bring his sword one last time, but Ruby dodged before slashing his chest, holding back enough to avoid digging into his armor, but pressing enough to leave a burn on the chest plate. She then turned off the lightsaber before collapsing on her knees and falling back.

Kebiin was confused, but Ruby grinned. She pointed behind Kebiin's head, and he looked to see his armor wouldn't take another hit. He dropped his sword and took off his helmet.

"It seems Himura still defeats Ordo," Kebiin said while the barrier fell. The rest of Team RWBY, Team JNPR, and Penny ran down to help Ruby up and/or defend her.

"Alright," Jaune said, standing between Ruby and Kebiin. "You two had your fight. Are you going to go after her again?" Kebiin smirked.

"It was an honor fighting a young warrior," Kebiin said. "It was never about the Credits for me. Just the fight. I'm satisfied."

"Even though you lost?" Ren asked.

"No dishonor in losing," Kebiin said. "This was a good fight. Glory to the victor." Kebiin walked back, holding his artificial arm.

"Ruby, you dolt!" Weiss nearly yelled. "What were you thinking!? He could have killed you!"

"I was thinking I could handle it," Ruby groaned. "And, well… I barely could."

Blake held Crescent Rose, and said, "Well, don't scare us like that. You're tough for a teen, but you're not invincible."

"Yeah," Yang said. "You don't normally take those hits. I do."

"Ruby," Penny asked, "why did you risk yourself to fight the Mandalorian? I could have dealt with him."

"Really?" Weiss scoffed.

"Penny," Ruby said, "I'm not going to hide behind others. If I really want to be a Huntress to protect people, I have to fight my own battles."

"Still," Penny said, "don't scare me like that."

"Yeah," Taiyang said, joining the conversation. "Please, don't scare ANYONE like that. It's clear, Ruby, you over rely on your weapons. If Kebiin didn't want a fair fight, he could have ended it several ways in his favor. You did play your strengths, though. Your speed, actual armed combat skill, and quick thinking. However, I wouldn't recommend using that last technique in a real tournament fight. You'd be disqualified if you did."

"Sorry, Dad," Ruby said, clipping her lightsaber to her belt.

"In a fight outside the arena, however," Taiyang said, "it would definitely save your life. You may want to improve your unarmed combat skills, however."

"Right," Ruby said. She then sheathed Crescent Rose to her back, and walked out of the arena, the others following. Taiyang, meanwhile, turned to Kebiin, who was given a wide berth by other students after his display.

"Her father?" Kebiin said as the Sun Dragon walked up to him.

"Yeah," Taiyang said. "So, you were only hunting Ruby just to fight her?"

"Like my mother fought hers," Kebiin replied. "You were there for round two, according to her."

"Can't say that was a pleasant experience," Taiyang said. "What happened to your arm?"

"Mission went south," Kebiin said. "Fought a Sith Lord with others. Arm got impaled. Sith thought I was dead. Last mistake he ever made, but I had to amputate later."

"Ooh," Taiyang winced. "No wonder… that arm has to be heavy, because you kept pushing Ruby. Also, while you have a tactical advantage, you take too long to actually make your move, which could have gotten you killed."

"But she didn't kill me," Kebiin said. "Gar ad cuyir a true warrior. Ogir cuyir nayc greater ijaat sa a buir."

Taiyang smirked at the Mandalorian. "You better be careful around my daughters, young man." Taiyang walked back to the front while Kebiin overlooked his damaged limb. He's have to get it and the small rocket launcher that used to be there repaired, but the reason why was worth it in his eyes. He then looked at Yang and Ruby. Yang looked up from her sister, and motioned she was watching him.

"Cinder," Emerald whispered, "did you see the footage…?"

"_So, Little Red can use the Force, now?" _Cinder replied.

"The Force?" Emerald asked.

"_You two have one version of it called 'Aura',"_ Cinder explained. "_I have more of it. And it seems that Ruby Rose has some too. Not enough to save her from me if I actually was serious."_

"She just broke through an energy shield strong enough to block an Atlesian Paladin missile," Emerald said. "Barely, but the feat's there. I think that's enough to be a concern, Cinder." She then suddenly flinched, and placed her hand to her ear. She then reached up to it, and felt the skin… it was slightly burned, even with her Aura healing it up.

"_Did you know the human brain can suffer damage at just 40 degrees Celsius? With my power, I can boil a bucket of water in less than a minute. Don't think that she is even a small threat to me again, Emerald, and you'll never have to worry about finding out how quick I can boil a brain." _Emerald lowered her head.

"Still, this Force stuff… are you sure we shouldn't make note of it?"

Cinder gave, "_Although it's sloppy, Ruby's ability to use it is somewhat surprising, just not enough to concern me. It took a lot of concentration to just get the weapon to save herself. Not that it will really matter, much. Her fate at this point will be the same. She'll need more than that to be a credible threat."_

"My offer still stands," Mercury spoke up.

"_As does my warning," _Cinder replied. "_If Ruby Rose dies and I'm involved, Summer Rose will bring her wrath, but you won't live long enough to face it. But if Ruby can use the Force like that… then Pyrrha Nikos will not be far behind. Probably the rest of Team RWBY. Keep an eye on them. If they become a genuine threat and their existence could actually hinder our goals… then you have my permission."_

Winter looked up from resetting the barrier to see Taiyang, who still had a worried look. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "When Weiss tried to convince Father she was ready to be a Huntress," she said, "he wanted her trained in Atlas to keep a better eye on her, but Weiss insisted on Beacon. That scar on her face? That was the result of her proving she could go. But… the difference between you and my father, Mr. Xiao Long, was that you WANTED to step in to save your daughter. Mine used the test to try to force Weiss to stay home."

"That doesn't make me a better father than yours," Taiyang replied. "Or a better husband."

"You care about your child's safety and happiness, despite being a teacher," Winter replied. "You don't force your daughters to be dependent on you, and while you both can be overprotective, you don't let that prevent your children from trying to find an identity besides being your daughters like my father does. As for 'better husband'… well, your wives had their reasons for leaving for years, but both seem to think it is not your fault. Mother died, but we still don't know where and why."

The Jedi and Sith all looked at the nine, soon joined by Team SSSN's Sun and Neptune. They each took turns congratulating her. "It seems that the Princess DOES have some credibility," the female Sith said. "She inspires loyalty among her allies. She is clearly their center."

"That is just as powerful for her as it is dangerous to her," the male observed. "If something happened to her, without an outside force, her band would fall apart. But she rallies them, forming a strong bond. If she had true training, maybe she could take the Emperor herself. But for now, her mother is the best candidate."

"Alright," Taiyang called, "so that happened. How about we move onto a different match?"

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: And curtain!

So, I had a lot of fun with this fight. I'm sorry for those of you who read this for the action (and not the politics) that you've been fight-starved since about Chapter 10. For the next few chapters (despite being spars for the students), there will be a bit of action.

Anyway, time to go with the big thing here: Summer and Yale's meeting. To anyone not knowing their relationship, it would be like seeing their rival's greatest student all grown up. To Yale, however, it's like having an unofficial foster kid that you couldn't really ever adopt for various reasons. Yale does see Summer/Natsumi as her biggest failure in her career as a Jedi for many reasons: Yale tried to save the Himuras and possibly acquire the apparent "Spirit of Roses", but the house was wiped out before she could; Natsumi grew up a slave for most of her life, and the closest she was ever to have been taken in by the Jedi order was right before Natsumi was recaptured by the Thuls and branded; Natsumi became a Sith and had met Yale, but discovered the Republic's hand in the death of her family, and that drove Natsumi away from ever joining the Republic; Imperius' death, for reasons disclosed later, prevented Yale once more from taking Natsumi and led her to become Summer; the entire Great Hunt in general led to Summer's final breaking point of wanting to be involved in the galaxy when her foster father was killed, and led her to be in Taiyang's (albeit gentle but still problem-causing) embrace; and now, everything happening in this story. Despite all of that, Summer still feels that Yale was basically her intended "stepmom number two".

Anyway, Ozpin is here to be Summer's back-up in case bantha fodder hits the fan for his old crush's plans to negotiate this alliance further. Now, I know Ozpin is technically meant to be significantly older than the rest of the cast in canon, but I feel that having him be the same age as the rest of the band of "older party members" works a lot better for this story. And even if that's not the case, his "time-altering" Semblance works, too.

For back at Beacon, Ruby and company are joined by Penny! For reasons why she's suddenly hostile to both the Jedi and Kebiin, it's rather two simple reasons. One, Penny, back during her first fight in Volume 1, only turned hostile when Ruby was attacked by Torchwick. Here, Penny's completely aware of the threat that the Force-users and Kebiin represent to Ruby, who she has been assigned to protect, and has been authorized to use lethal force. The fact that she's been given information on the various fighting styles of several groups by Ironwood gives her an edge. However, I feel the most important part of this is Penny and Pyrrha's meeting...

Pyrrha knows.

But you guys were here for Ruby vs. Kebiin. This was one of my favorite fights before getting to the meat of the story. Yeah, we're still not in the main adventure, yet. Almost there, though. Anyway, I didn't want this fight to be a complete curbstomp in Ruby's favor, so I gave Kebiin a few moments of genuine badass, enough to be a credible threat to a Huntress. Also, if I read about Mandalorians enough, I think they'd have more training growing up than the rest of the students at Beacon, so Kebiin is better trained, but he's significantly slower and not as good at improvising as Ruby.

Emerald's personality. While she does not like Team RWBY, she finds herself faltering about them. While the other members of the group have a "can't kill you, still need you" mindset of the team (except for Adam, who is ready to kill or capture Blake), Emerald is hesitant to do anything to them. It's because of Ruby genuinely trying (off-screen) to be her friend. Emerald, while finding Ruby's optimism and happiness annoying, it hits her rare soft spots. Enough to maybe try saving Ruby when necessary. How long this will last, nobody knows.

Meanwhile, Cinder's getting ready for rescuing Torchwick. Wonder how that will go? Well, we're not gonna find out for right now, because I have reviews to sort through.

**A.K.b00m:** Yang's situation has to be a treat. She has two mothers (one real and one foster), and one of them engages is off-handed sexual harassment. You know, that will be funny. What'll be even funnier is Summer joining in simply because she wants to spoil her daughters with breakfast.

**FEV Grim:** Fun fact, I had written a version of Summer's meeting with the Republic where the Republic barges in on the three... who just the night before had a threesome. Oh, and thanks for the characters, I'm-a talk about that in the end part.

**delta2177**: Yeah, I do enjoy a bit of crazy.

**Gabriel H. Sapphire:** Yes, glory to the dads!

**RedemptionWarrior:** I introduced the Maidens simply because I feel like if this story (or something like it) did happen, alien invasions are a bit too big for the Maidens to ignore. But yeah, Team RWBY is getting a lot out of this: Force-powers, new allies, and soon, a new mission.

**DaManWOFear:** I always love reading your reviews. The bonding was great, but Yale and Ruby's meeting meant that I could finally stop myself from delaying the "Lightsaber-wielding Ruby" things. But however, you kind of forget, Remnant itself, as far as the Star Wars characters are concerned, is a predominantly Force-sensitive world. With everyone having access to Aura, they could with training do similar if not the exact things that we see Jedi and Sith doing in the movies. Pyrrha has a lot of power and control with her abilities, which gives her an advantage. Ruby has raw power, but little to no control. As for Pyrrha's destiny: it's up in the air. While in canon, her story seems to end (I am in the camp that Pyrrha is permanently dead, but I could be wrong because this is Rooster Teeth) with her death triggering Ruby's true story beginning, here, anyone could go either way. Pyrrha could end up joining the Jedi Order (the most likely one if they do align with the Republic, and Jaune suddenly bites it). Yang could fall to the Dark Side after a series of unfortunate events. But know that Pyrrha and Ruby themselves are going to survive at least _Soul of Remnant._ Any sequels, I can't guarantee.

**Guest:** Thanks for this. I'll try to squeeze out a little bit more.

**thewingedmoose:** Okay, so, we now have a flying moose. Neat. Anyway, I did quite a bit of research to make sure everything made sense and I could even the playing fields of both series as best I could.

Alright, I think we've gotten through everythi—wait a minute. I almost forgot.

FEV Grim, I believe you and another reader were both asking for me to somehow include your characters in this story. Well, for anyone curious, the two Sith Apprentices, are FEV Grim's characters. I will actually give them their names here very soon. But for anyone else who wants in on this misadventure, here's your chance. Come after Ozpin's Group vs. Quay, we're going to be getting into the meat of this story. And characters will be amassing. In my profile page, I have a link to a form you can use. I wanted to experiment with Google Forms, so the link should be in the profile page. Feel free to use it, or send me a description via Private Message. Anyone chosen will be credited from now on in the author's notes at the top of the chapter before. Just please... don't spam me with too many Jedi or Sith. I may like lightsabers as much as the rest of you reading this, but I do enjoy a blaster or two.

So, we're good? Awesome! Farewell my subjects!


	14. Chapter 14: Sky Skirmishes

A/N: Not so long ago, in an airspace very close to you...

* * *

"SKY SKIRMISHES"

Soul of Remnant Chapter 14

Pirates are on the move! The notorious space pirate, NORMAN QUAY, plots to launch an attack on Beacon Academy to capture the daughters of TAIYANG XIAO LONG, seeking revenge for his captivity by the girls' mothers. Meanwhile, OZPIN has to keep calm a dangerous ex-Sith Lord.

Remnant's secret defenders, led by GENERAL JAMES IRONWOOD, move to intercept Quay. But at the same time, he cannot ignore esteemed thief ROMAN TORCHWICK and the two Imperial prisoners, and decides to bring them along with him.

However, what Ironwood's organization doesn't know is that they are playing into the hands of Torchwick's benefactor...

* * *

...Yeah, this will never sell. May as well make it a chapter in this story. Oh, and just in time for Volume 4 of RWBY!

* * *

**Beacon Academy—**_**Blue-2**_ **Hanger—09:39**

Before Ruby and Kebiin's duel, Ironwood was seeing three prisoners loaded onto his ship. Torchwick, Fleece, and Herbert were all handcuffed, escorted into the hangar by soldiers. "I have to say, General," Torchwick admitted, "you sure travel in style. I could totally see myself taking this ship for a spin."

"Over my dead body, terrorist," Ironwood scowled.

"Well, obviously," Torchwick chuckled. "I mean, you'd have to come down with a very nasty case of death. But I heard that you nearly did die once, though, so it can't be that hard. What was the Sith Lord who took half of your body, again? Darth Cadith, I think?" Ironwood's eyes widened at the name. "My two new buddies Evan and Fleecy, here, were more than willing to play twenty questions. See, Jimmy, from one cynic to another, you can't be paranoid all the time. You have to learn to read people. They revealed some juicy, juicy stuff. Stuff I'm going to use as soon as the three of us get out of here. Along with the information about Little Red's not quite dead mommy not exactly being a legal Remnant citizen—"

Torchwick stopped talking. The reason, of course, was Ironwood's patience being completely replaced with overwhelming rage, and lifting the thief off the ground with his metal arm. "Listen to me, you piece of filth," Ironwood spat. "You are a thief, a coward, a terrorist, a murderer, and a sociopath. I am able to END you, and nobody important would actually give a damn. The only reason you are STILL alive is because you have information that I can use to save countless innocent lives. The only reason I'm bringing you aboard is because I want to keep a close eye on you and the Imperials. With that said, if you even THINK about blackmailing me or the rest of my associates, there will be a lot more Dust merchants sleeping soundly at night."

While Ironwood was talking down Torchwick, a particularly short soldier slipped something into Herbert's pocket. The soldier then walked towards the ship, but not before looking at Herbert, and pointing at Torchwick. Herbert looked forward, and cleared his throat. "What have you done with the _Akk Bleeder, _general?"

"What does it matter to you, Imperial?" Ironwood asked, dropping Torchwick.

"So there really is a heart in that tin can chest of yours," Torchwick wheezed while laughing. "Can't wait to see it."

"Well, I don't see it in this hangar, and the Void Crow forced us to bring it in," Fleece added. "Where's our ship?"

"If you must know," Ironwood said, "you're not getting it back. We had went ahead and sent it to Atlas for reverse-engineering. President Schnee has already agreed to do some research on your space-flight technology. He was rather eager." Turning back to his ship, he saw one of the Mantis-class dropships loaded into the ship's cargo hold. "As for those, well… I decided to keep a few of your toys. Not that you'll be needing them."

As he and the soldiers led them on board, nobody saw Torchwick's small smirk.

* * *

_**Blue-2—**_**Bridge—09:52**

Qrow and Goodwitch came in, ready for a fight as the ship took off. "So, Jimmy, this is your ride?" Qrow asked.

"The _Blue-2_ is my mobile base, yes," Ironwood sighed. "It controls most of the Atlesian droid army stationed here in Vale. Any of my mechs in range of the central tower will respond to my orders from here."

"That's a bit impractical," Raven's voice spoke up. The three turned to see Raven sitting at a nearby console. "Having all of this equipment stationed here, I mean. Not to mention the droid army in general."

"Raven," Ironwood groaned. "You've been offworld for almost two decades, so I can forgive your old distrust of machines that aren't R0. But time's moved on. The Age of Huntsmen is evolving, and this way, a lot less unnecessary lives will be lost in hot zones. Every gun held by a droid is one less man or woman potentially being marched to their death."

"But what if your ship is captured or destroyed by the enemy, or worse, your droids are hacked?" Raven offered. "Do you have any idea the colossal body count that could happen because of that? Ordinary people don't get hacked and turned against you or completely shut down and leave civilians defenseless."

"What are you doing here?" Goodwitch asked. "I thought you were meeting with Yale Shan."

"That's SUMMER who's meeting with Yale Shan," Raven corrected. "Something we all mutually agree is a risky move, since Yale is one of the most powerful Jedi in the universe, not to say Summer isn't on her level. Thankfully, the meeting has been suspended for now, because Summer is currently freaking out about some news people could have shared with us earlier—like a bounty a Hutt put on her daughter's head, thus making dealing with Bal'rog a priority in our plans. Ozpin's keeping her company, explaining a lot of details she's missed, by the way. God help him. Anyway, I got bored of watching the base, so I decided to come here... and apparently, so did he." As if on cue, Raven pulled out her sword and blocked a blue lightsaber. Tillicru faded into existence, deactivating his Force Cloak. Before either could take this swordfight any further, several men and women on the bridge immediately trained their weapons on the alien Jedi. Tillicru knew this wasn't in his favor, so he ended his clash with the female Branwen.

"Do not use laser weapons," Ironwood ordered his men. "This won't be pretty." Turning to their second uninvited guest, he demanded, "What are you doing here, Jedi?"

"The Void Crow, Order Witch, the Raven of Nevermore, and Tin Soldier, all in one place," Tillicru scowled. "This is an unexpected, but not unwelcome, discovery. What's going on, here?"

"Other than just shooting the breeze?" Qrow asked. "Not a whole lot. So what brings you to Beacon, Tilly?" Tillicru visibly swallowed the urge to shank Qrow.

"Sure, fly into a homicidal rage when _**I**_ wind you up," Raven pouted.

"I was originally using my cloak to investigate the Spirit of Roses' daughter," Tillicru admitted. Turning to Qrow, he said, "I thought that of anyone here to have the audacity to lie with a dangerous Sith, it would have been you or Ozpin, Void Crow. I suspected she would be drawn to those closer to darkness."

"Summer's never noticed either of our feelings for her," Qrow said. "Taiyang's a good man whose been through a lot of hell, not all of it thanks to Summer." Raven scowled at that remark, knowing her brother took a jab at her. "Besides, unlike Tai, who only lost her to Crumma's petty grudge and inability to let things go and she found her way back to him, I would probably HAVE gotten her killed or worse. I did with others."

"Genet wasn't your fault," Goodwitch said. "She died fighting Zulimar."

"...Amber was," Qrow replied. "I should have been there earlier."

Tillicru ignored Qrow's self-pity, and said, "Right as I was close to her, I sensed you all were troubled enough to make me look into you, instead. What is wrong?"

"If you must know," Goodwitch said, "we have a pirate problem. Some pirate named 'Quay' has hijacked a ship heading straight for Beacon. Most likely he's after one of our students."

"The Spirit of Roses' daughter," Tillicru concluded.

Goodwitch continued, "We're moving to intercept him."

"Norman Quay is not your responsibility," Tillicru said.

"He made himself our responsibility when he and his pirates blasted his way into a civilian airship hangar, killed innocent guards, taken who knows how many people hostage, and is making a beeline to my alma mater," Qrow replied. "He's after my nieces, so that's not helping his case." Starring the Twi'lek down, Qrow said, "We can kill each other later. But right now, that pirate needs to be stopped."

Tillicru and Qrow stared at each other for a few minutes, but the Jedi relented, turning off his lightsaber while Raven sheathed her sword. "You are fortunate, Hunters," Tillicru said, "that Grand Master Shan has agreed to humor your Sith friend. And also that Remnant is not yet part of the Republic, so legally, I cannot see you arrested for your various crimes."

"With luck," Goodwitch said, "Remnant joining either the Republic or Empire won't become the case. So, are you here to help us or not?"

"I'll help you, for now," the Twi'lek agreed. "So, what are we up against?"

"A pirate crew, most likely with several Cartel supplied battle droids and thugs," Ironwood said, checking over his pistol. "Quay probably has hostages, most likely to try to force Miss Rose to surrender."

"What makes you think she'd actually do that?" Tillicru asked.

"Ruby's idealistic, almost too much so," Qrow answered. "It's all over the news, now, that Ruby first acted against a Sith when he publicly called her out with threatening hostages. She'd respond to a hostage situation if the hostage taker wanted her specifically. You'd be surprised if you met Ruby, and gave her a chance."

"We'll discuss that matter later," the Jedi reminded him. "Is a warship really necessary to stop a band of pirates?"

"Probably not," Raven shrugged while messing with her Scroll, "but Jimmy always did like to be thorough and overkill the problem."

"You Branwens are both characterizing me poorly," Ironwood said.

"The Sobrik Shipyard Incident would disagree with you," Goodwitch said. "That was a few dozen heavily armed droid soldiers, yes, but you didn't have to park Summer's ship on top of them."

"Not going to lie, that was a hell of an entrance," Raven replied.

"They were giving the rest of you a hard time," Ironwood argued.

"And one wonders why Summer never considered giving you the _Glass Eagle _after the Great Hunt," Qrow quipped.

"Speaking of Summer," Ironwood said, "why isn't she part of this right now? Glynda told Ozpin of Quay's impending attack."

"Same reason we didn't tell Taiyang," Goodwitch argued. "Those two, if their daughters were in desperate trouble and they could reach them, would tear through the entire galaxy to protect their kids. By not involving Summer or Taiyang, we're doing the universe a favor."

"Oh, so I should have NOT told Mint about this?" Raven said, putting her Scroll away. Everyone looked at her in shock. "Hey, I just wanted to let Summer know what I was doing, so I texted the Jawa who should tell Summer."

"Then let's hope that the Spirit remains calm," Tillicru said, facing forward.

* * *

**Unknown Location—10:00**

It was safe to say Summer Rose was not calm. This was best demonstrated by the fact that her face was in an angry pout while looking at Ozpin. Speaking of him, he was suspended upside-down. "So," she said, having been caught up to speed about the Republic, Imperial, and intergalactic presences in Vale and Beacon, "are there any other tidbits of information you have yet to share with me?"

"Please, Summer, I'm sorry for not telling you all of that before, but put me down," Ozpin pleaded. The ex-Sith sighed in apology, before flipping Ozpin back to his feet and dropping him onto the couch. Looking around, he said, "I haven't seen this facility in some time."

"It was hard to clean up," Summer said as R0 rolled in. "And why didn't anyone help, leaving giant bugs to move in? You all know I have entomophobia from Alderaan, Korriban and Balmorra!"

"[Number of giant spiders triggered Master's fear of bugs=14, not counting children,]" R0 replied. "[Results of it=not pretty. Bird-lady=had to deal with most of it.]"

"Right," Ozpin recalled. "I forgot how you react when you see Deathstalkers. It's just... you react so violently, nobody would know you hate fighting them."

"[Some people=freeze up in response to fear,]" R0 noted. "[Master=grabs nearest giant, blunt object with Force + beats fear to death.]"

"You're normally a reserved woman, it's just hard to imagine at times," Ozpin admitted. "Still, why are you so upset about an underground base not being cleaned?"

"Sentimental value," Summer said.

"[Ozpin=forgot who owned this bunker?]" R0 accused. The droid pointed with its repair appendage to a framed picture, near a collection of others. One was Team STRQ a few weeks before graduation. Another was Summer, in a black mourning gown, standing on the cliff with an empty jar, her silver eyes slightly glowing while R0 stood by her side, holding a dusty old cowboy's hat. The next was Summer tearfully congratulating Raven and Taiyang on their wedding. A third, one Ozpin lingered on a little too long, was Summer training a black-haired girl with blue eyes and red clothes about 15 at Signal. A rather amusing one had Summer chasing after an infant Yang who riding on R0. This was followed by Summer, her hair a mess, reading little Yang a bedtime story. One that tugged at Ozpin's heartstrings was Summer and Taiyang wearing matching red clothes for their own wedding with Yang having a red rose in her small hair. The next had a six months pregnant Summer munching on a cookie while little Yang nuzzled her head on belly, followed by a picture of a tired Summer holding a newborn Ruby, who had a few small strands of black and red hair, while Yang peeked up at her new little sister. The last picture on the shelf was Ruby and Yang, both young, cuddling up to Summer.

But before all of those was one extra picture. In the particular picture was a fifteen-year-old Summer, back when she was Natsumi, looking almost like Ruby but with a brand on her face, wearing black and red robes that had the Sith Empire logo on the breast, standing next to two other teenage girls. One was a Cathar that looked like Citarhi wearing an black armored top and red armor-plated pants, and the second was a human girl with bright red hair in a pair of pigtails with energetic green eyes, wearing a red tunic and a black long skirt. Standing behind them were two people. One was a female green Twi'lek in her early forties wearing blue and gray robes of the Sith Inquisitors on top of a red gem-infused headdress, looking proud of the three acolytes. The other being a tanned man in his mid-late forties, wearing a brown cowboy hat and gray duster jacket over a white Imperial shirt and black pants. The blood red sands and tombs around them pointed to this picture being taken on Korriban.

If Ozpin recalled the story correctly, this was taken mere weeks before everything about Natsumi and Crumma's intertwined destiny was sealed in blood: the massacre that would eventually lead Summer to Remnant.

"Oh," Ozpin realized, looking at the man. It was, arguably, the closest thing Summer had to a family picture of her childhood before Beacon. And the man was Summer's foster father. "Summer, I'm very sorry. Gamaro Riggs was not a Huntsman, but an old man who was a pilot. As far as the Empire would be concerned, he was of no consequence since he lacked the Force. Yet, he still meant a lot to you. So that's why you took great care of this bunker, and you're upset the rest of us didn't. It's just that nobody wanted to risk Ruby and Yang being exposed to the galactic community... and you left a picture of your Master, your childhood friend, and a location clearly not on Remnant here. And that's not even getting into your magic. Ruby, being your daughter, most likely has the same magic."

"That explains why you want Ruby trained as a full-Huntress two years early," Summer realized. "You think our Himura bloodline magic could be the key to defeating the Grimm for good... or at least until you can successfully get Remnant's citizens safely off-world. Also explains why you knowingly allowed a first-year team to take on such a dangerous mission... if you could successfully trigger Ruby's magic like mine was, she'd be capable of destroying whole swarms of dark-siders."

"That was part of the reason," Ozpin said. "But she doesn't know she has this magic, yet. Just Force-sensitivity."

"I know you all were keeping my past a secret, but would it have killed you to at least clean up Papa's bunker?"

"My duties as Headmaster of Beacon prevented me from really coming out here," Ozpin said. "And as of late, it has been more than just my duties as Headmaster."

"Why?" Summer asked. "What could possibly have happened in ten years that could get YOUR direct attention?" Ozpin sighed.

"Amber's in a coma, Summer," the Emerald Wizard answered. Summer's eyes widened.

"Amber?" she breathed. "Didn't she and Qrow have a near-relationship?"

Ozpin groaned at the mention that Qrow and the Fall Maiden were almost an item. In a way, the Maidens were like Jedi: intimate relationships and families, while not forbidden, were strongly discouraged with the Maidens. These women's duty was to Remnant, not to the kingdoms or to close loved ones, since the familial connection would not only confound their judgement, but would be an exploitable weakness. Ozpin had found stories of Maidens who died to save their children or their lovers, which made his choice to scout Pyrrha Nikos for the next Fall Maiden candidate all of the harder... what with her crush on Jaune Arc. The fact that Qrow and Amber used to be close strongly made Ozpin doubt that Qrow—a man with years of alcohol abuse, most likely coming from his team falling apart and the small string of his various lovers DYING—was reliable as a Maiden's Shield—a special agent that wasn't a Headmaster or their assistant teacher that could be deployed on missions to serve as a Maiden's secret bodyguard. Yet, he performed his task quite well... until Cinder stepped into the picture, and doing the unpredictable.

Summer snapped Ozpin back into reality when she continued, "Why is she in a coma!?"

"Because someone found out that she was the current Fall Maiden," Ozpin said. Ignoring Summer's disapproving glare, he continued, "This woman who nearly killed Amber not only succeeded in defeating a Seasonal Maiden, something to worry about on its own since while possible it's far from an easy feat, but she bypassed the age rule that should have protected the Maidens' power from her, and she has stolen half of Amber's power. If not for Qrow, Amber would be dead, and we'd have a full rogue Maiden on our hands. With your past coming back to haunt us, we may need to bring the other three back into play."

"The Maidens, again!?" Summer asked.

"I know you have bad history, but we could use—"

"Franklin Ozpin, you know that they tried to kill me several times in the past because of Darth Zanzis!" Summer said. Ozpin flinched, knowing that not too many who knew it used his first name willingly unless it was calling him out. "Almost none of them have trusted me since then! Amber was the one who actually saw me as a human being instead of just a threat! And now, you want them to stick their noses into my life AGAIN!?"

"You know Remnant needs their protection," Ozpin said. "They're the ones who guard our world from the darker secrets."

"And so do I," Summer said. "Except unlike them, I do it of my own volition instead of a duty forced on me by some ancient Jedi!"

"You have no proof that the original Wizard was a Jedi," Ozpin remarked.

"Do you have proof that he WASN'T a Jedi?" Summer countered. "While I admit the reasons I have are selfish in the long-term, I have been protecting Remnant from outside forces for almost a decade. The Maidens don't have to get involved with scrubbing up my past."

"And right now, you're desperately trying to get Jedi help to protect this world, despite the fact that they _also_ tried to kill you multiple times," Ozpin replied.

"This is out of desperation more than liking the Jedi more," Summer sighed. "Ozpin, my Plan A has failed miserably. The Republic and the Jedi are my Plan B, right now, and the Maidens aren't called for at ALL with that. I don't know exactly what you've been through since I 'died', and I may be bitter about their unreasonable dislike of me just because I'm not of this world, but I don't want to risk their lives in a battle that is mine."

"What exactly was Plan A?" Ozpin asked. "And what's Plan B?"

"My Plan A was to prevent the Republic and Empire from genuinely getting involved in Remnant," Summer said, "and hoped they never found out about my daughter's existence. Plan B is something, upon almost twenty-five years of retrospect, I should have done on Korriban like Citarhi told me to: make sure Crumma stays dead when I kill him this time."

"That's not exactly a plan," Ozpin pointed out.

"Well, you've hardly told me of any of your plans," Summer replied. Ozpin nearly chuckled, knowing she wasn't wrong. "But in all seriousness, it does require my cooperation with as many Jedi as I can get, as well as something that could short-circuit his cybernetics. I would take Sith, too, because of Force Lightning to overload his implants, but I doubt anyone besides those not affiliated with Darth Mel would agree. The only other thing to guarantee this works is a Force-slayer blade. The two on Remnant I know about are Wilt &amp; Blush and Crocea Mors, and I don't want to endanger Ruby's boyfriend... even though she denies it. So I need to find Raven's master."

"Mr. Arc and your daughter would make an adorable couple," Ozpin chuckled. "Add Miss Nikos, and it's you, Raven, and Taiyang all over again." A door opened, revealing Naywi and Mint. "Why do you have a Jawa?" Ozpin asked.

"She wanted to come along," Summer replied. She asked, "What's wrong, girls?"

"[Red-flower lady,]" Mint called, holding up her own Scroll, "[Bird-lady contacted me. She mentioned pirate from Rishi Station is back. He heading to your daughters' school!]"

"Quay!?" Summer asked.

"It's just a pirate," Ozpin said. "Besides, it sounds like Qrow, Raven, James, and Glynda are all on it."

"This guy's actions are the reason Dohet is dead," Summer replied.

"Your ex?" Ozpin asked, giving her a frustrated look.

"Just because I had a crush on him doesn't mean I dated him," Summer replied.

"And yet, you adopted his student," Ozpin said. "How many students has this made of yours, Summer?"

"I'm not the first Force-user who has taken on more than one personal apprentice in her lifetime, Ozpin," Summer replied.

"Miss Raven also mentioned Master Tillicru joining forces with them," Naywi said.

"Tillicru's here!?" Summer questioned. "Ozpin, I asked if there was nothing else I should know!"

"Okay, that one was unexpected," Ozpin defended himself. "But at least he's intercepting Quay."

"It doesn't change the fact that if Tillicru does manage to help them deal with Quay, he'll still be near my daughter and my husband," Summer said. "And even if Tillicru isn't a threat, Quay working for Bal'rog is."

"If you want," Ozpin said, "we have your ship. And there are a few Republic soldiers, including three Jedi Masters and their Defender ship which is better for aerial combat than the _Eagle__,_ right outside." Summer frowned, thinking about whether or not she should haul out the _Glass Eagle _for this fight. Turning to Mint and Naywi, Ozpin asked, "Did anyone mention what Quay is in?"

* * *

**Quay's Heavy Cargo Transport—10:25**

"Nothing like a good plan coming together," the pirate captain chuckled as he sat in the captain's chair. He was certainly enjoying the flight to Beacon. Like Ozpin's group had predicted, Quay had his crew of aliens take a Bullhead full of people hostage, and had some flying the ship to Beacon. He also had loaded up a few dozen Cartel security droids, courtesy of an eager Bal'rog.

Speaking of the Hutt, he was on Quay's holocom. "_[Do not gloat yet, pirate,]" _the Hutt smirked. "_[We have yet to have the Spirit of Roses' Daughter in chains!]"_

"Relax, Bal'rog," Quay chuckled. "I'm about… hey, buddy," he turned to the person he had flying the ship, "how far are we from Beacon?"

"A-about 20 minutes out," the pilot replied.

"One hour away from her being nice and ready for one of your slave collars," Quay finished. "Or, you know, decorating your wall. Speaking of which, do you mind carbonite or do you like handcuffs?"

"_[Handcuffs,]"_ the Hutt replied.

"Okay, fine. See you in a bit, buddy. Have those Credits ready for me." He then turned off the holocom, and said, "Alright, people, let's hurry this up. We're going to be rich!"

"Who or what was that creature!?" a female hostage requested.

"Bal'rog the Hutt," Quay said. "Vicious gangster… way above you little people." He then turned to the one on communications, and said, "Alright, here's the deal. If you request for landing and avoid giving even the slightest hint that something is amiss, you will get to live to see tomorrow. If I find one thing out of place, you're gonna wish I simply shot you before you die."

"Y-Yes, sir," the man nodded. He then pressed a button, and said, "Attention Beacon Academy Airship Platform, this is Cargo Bullhead #66, requesting permit to land."

"_Hold on, Cargo Bullhead,"_ the person in charge replied, "_we were not expecting you… what is your cargo?"_

"About 20 advanced combat droids," the communications officer replied. "Ordered by General Ironwood. My apologies, we were late to join the fleet and needed to refuel."

The dock manager was silent for a few moments. He then said, "_Cargo Bullhead #66, you are clear for landing. Come towards Bay C-3."_ The radio cut off, and the communications officer sighed—

_**BANG!**_

He screamed in agony as a blaster bolt went through his shoulder. The rest of the captive crew screamed, while Quay had a plain look on his face. "Why did you mention the battle droids, you idiot?" he asked. "It's almost like you asked for this." Quay then motioned towards two members of his crew, who grabbed the pained man, the Rattataki brandishing a knife as he was dragged out. Over the not-so-subtle sounds of a man being tortured, Quay then said, "Alright, people, let's get ready to fight because that nerf-herder just sold us out. Kill anything with a pulse and a gun pointed at you. We're walking out of here with the Spirit of Roses' Daughter one way or another."

"Y-You monster," a woman breathed. "You're nothing more than a monster!"

_**BANG!**_

She yelped as the shot rang off near her head. "What of it?" Quay scoffed. "I'm here for the money, nothing more, nothing less. You seem to forget the only reasons you're all still alive is because I still need you. If I really wanted to, I could kill every single one of you, and treat it like a casual walk. You're just here for my revenge." He turned to press the communications button, when a massive airship pulled up towards his. He then found his holocom beeping. He pressed the talk button, revealing Qrow.

"_Well, you're one ugly son of a Hutt," _Qrow greeted. "_How's life treating you, pirate boy?"_

"...Who are you, dead man?" Quay asked.

"_Just the Void Crow,"_ the reaper replied. Quay bristled at the thought of a Force-user of Qrow's caliber coming after him. Qrow said, _"Let me make clear what you're up against. __We have a highly advanced by Remnant's standards warship with its guns pointed at you, four powerful Huntsmen, myself included, oh, and a Jedi stowaway. Here's the deal. Surrender, release the hostages, and you'll be able to at least live. Don't, and start praying to whatever god you follow. But they won't be able to help you."_

"I don't think you're in a position to negotiate," Quay tried to argue. "I have a ship full of people, and if you try to be a hero, they're all dead! Do you want that number of bodies on your conscience? Your best chance as saving their lives is to hand over the Spirit of Roses and Raven of Nevermore's brats!" Qrow looked behind him at a noise, and shook his head.

"_Should not have said that, buddy,"_ Qrow said. "_And not just because they're my nieces… one of their moms was just on this ship."_

"Was?" Quay asked.

"_And now, she's on yours."_

_**SHING!**_

A Rodian's death scream echoed throughout the ship, followed by blaster fire. Quay's eyes widened again. Quay looked at Qrow.

"_By the way," _Qrow confessed, "_that's my SISTER. Have fun until I get over there. In fact, pray I get to you, first."_ With that, the comm cut out. Quay turned to his crew.

"Alright, change of plans!" he said. "Forget the hostages, find and kill the Raven of Nevermore! And somebody get on board that warship and take it out before they have more boarders on us!"

* * *

_**Blue-2—**_**Interior****—****10:49**

"So," Torchwick said as he watched the soldiers scramble to fight the pirates, "I think we're safe enough." He turned to Herbert, who (in Ironwood's rush to intercept Quay) threw him and Fleece in Torchwick's cell, and requested, "My Scroll, please."

"S-Scroll?" Herbert asked. He pulled out the device that the small guard slipped into his pocket. "This thing?"

"Aw, she wrote a message," Torchwick smiled as he took it. "'Roman, I'm going to free you very soon'. I love you, too, Neo."

"Neo?" Fleece asked. All of the sudden, a pair of guards dropped dead in front of them. From around the corner, a smiling pink and brown-eyed assassin popped her head in front of the cell. She pointed at the two Imperials.

"Don't worry, Neo," Torchwick said, "they're with us." Neo nodded, and opened the cell, holding a few things for Torchwick: his hat, his cane, and a cigar. Torchwick took all three, and Neo held up a lighter. After lighting up his cigar, he took a long drag. He breathed out, and said, "Oh, I needed that." Neo beamed. A few more guards came down their way, and Torchwick popped open his Melodic Cudgel's gun mode, and fired a small fireball, sending the soldiers running for cover. They then took aim again—

_**BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!**_

The soldiers all fell, courtesy of Herbert. "Wow, imagining them in Pub colors helps," Herbert said, checking the gun he picked up. Neo looked at him in curiosity. "Hello?"

"Oh, she doesn't talk much to anyone who's not me," Torchwick said. "It's not you. Well, actually, it might be you." All of the sudden, his Scroll rang, and he sighed at the caller. "Do I have to?" he asked Neo. She nodded. Torchwick pressed the "talk" button. "Hi, dear, how are the kids?"

"_Shut-up, for one,"_ Cinder said. "_And two, I need you again, Roman."_

"Sheesh, take a joke, Cindy," Torchwick scoffed.

_"I will when you actually say something funny, and make me not want to gut you."_

"Hey, this would have worked," Torchwick defended himself. "Little Red and her team were just too soft to kill me... Kitty Cat's mistake. So, what makes you want to spring me early?"

_"Because, Torchwick, I need your skills,"_ Cinder replied. _"The power I seek would be nice right now to level the playing field, but there's an Emperor coming. I need enough Dust to take him out. You are better at getting it than I am, so that's why I'm collecting you now."_

"Emperor?" Torchwick asked. "Let me guess, Sith Emperor Crumma?" Cinder grew silent. "Oh, Cindy, I learned a few things. Including about a very special someone we could use against Little Red. I'm going to call her 'Big Red'. Or would you prefer 'White Rose' or her real name: 'Natsumi Himura'?"

_"We're going to talk later. And you're not going to enjoy it."_

"Get down!" Fleece said as she forced Torchwick to do just that. Neo opened up her umbrella to block a few of the bullets of the Atlesian soldiers. Herbert took a moment to return fire.

"Enemy down!" Herbert said. "Taking point! Watch my left, Neo!" He and Neo moved up to deal with more soldiers.

"_...Roman, who were those people?"_ Cinder bluntly said.

"If I said 'Atlesian soldiers I convinced to join our cause'," he answered, "what would your reaction be?"

"_I'd say 'cute', and then demand the truth, since nobody from Atlas has that significant accent."_

"Prison mates?" Torchwick replied.

"Hey, you people have grenades!" Herbert said. He then grabbed one, and threw it. The resulting explosion rocked the hallway.

"_You actually had people locked up with you?" _Adam's voice asked.

"Oh, Beast is here," Torchwick said, grabbing his cane, and blocking a soldier's melee attack and clubbing him across the face. To make sure the Atlesian soldier wasn't getting back up, he pressed his cane down on the man's neck, and pulled the trigger. He then turned to Fleece, and asked, "Can you do me a solid and take the rest of this? I really shouldn't leave Neo and Herbie to do all the work. Despite the fact that for a grunt, Herbie's racking up a higher body count than Neo." He then tossed her his Scroll, and continued onwards to help clear a route. Fleece looked at the pictures of a black queen piece and a white wolf with red scratches, and gulped.

"H-Hello?" she asked.

"_What's your name?"_ Cinder requested.

"Marigold Fleece," the captain replied. "Captain in the Imperial Navy. I was here on a mission to either secure Remnant's takeover by the Empire or capture the Daughter of the Spirit of Roses. However, we failed our mission and were captured by the Huntsman known as Qrow Branwen, or as the Mandalorians call him, 'the Void Crow'."

"_Well, Mary,"_ Cinder said, "_can you do me one favor? Tell me why I shouldn't sheer you when I lay my eyes on your Imperial face? Yes, I'm aware of your Sith Empire. And I hate both you Imperials and the Republic, since your presence interferes with my plans. So, you have one minute to sell yourself. Starting now."_

"Mr. Torchwick said he was hiring us, since if we return to the Empire, we'll be killed for failing our mission!"

"_Do you really think that Roman's calling the shots?" _Cinder sneered. "_His reckless behavior nearly cost me the White Fang. He's lucky his arrest could benefit me. If I didn't need him, this wouldn't be a courtesy call or me having him busted out. I don't like complications in my plans, Little Bo Peep. And right now, I'm not seeing where keeping lost Imperials around fits in my plan. Hurry up, and try again. 45 seconds."_

"Please give us a chance," Fleece insisted. "I'm a top notch navigator, pilot, and field medic! I graduated quite high in my class! You could have use of me!"

"_You're gonna have to try a little harder, human,"_ Adam suggested.

"_Thirty-nine, thirty eight, thiry-seven,"_ Cinder hummed.

"I can give you information about the Empire's operations on Remnant," Fleece tried.

_"Thirty-five, thirty-four..."_

"What if we bring you a starship!?" she asked. "It's not much, but it's right aboard this ship, in the cargo bay!" The other line was silent, the only sound Fleece hearing was that of a body falling.

"_A starship?"_ Cinder asked.

"It won't be huge," Fleec said, "but it'll be a hell of a lot tougher than anything else on this world, and if you wanted to, you could leave Remnant behind!"

"_I'm intrigued,"_ Cinder said. "_You managed to convince me with twenty seconds left. Consider this your audition. Adam, provide cover for her and anyone else with Torchwick. Remember: he and Neo are needed at all costs. The Imperials are expendable. If Sheep here fails to deliver this starship, I give her to you."_

"H-Huh!?" Fleece said.

"_Clock's ticking, Fleece,"_ Cinder said. "_And tell Torchwick to hurry up."_ With that, the line disconnected.

'(From one terrible boss to another… I must be cursed.)' Torchwick walked back to her.

"What's the matter, Fleecy?" Torchwick asked. "You look pale."

"Is there any chance your escape plan involves the Mantis-class dropship?" Fleece nervously asked. "We sort of need that, now."

"Let me guess," Torchwick chuckled. "Cinder wasn't exactly happy I complicated my own rescue by insisting you guys come with us, and you had to add the starship as an additional touch to save your own hide from her?" Fleece blinked. "Yeah, something I should have told you straight-up: my boss' elite group only takes the best, and she hates it when unexpected monkey wrenches pop up. If you want to live, you have to prove yourself useful to the new world order she's bringing. But you're in luck… fighting our way to take over the bridge is incredibly stupid, right now. But the cargo bay, well: let's just say it's our way out of here. Come on!" Torchwick and Neo ran towards the cargo bay, but Herbert stopped to help her up.

"Come on, Captain," Herbert said, turning back to shoot a few approaching soldiers. "We have to move."

"Right," Fleece said, grabbing a fallen soldier's pistol. They ran to catch up to their newfound allies.

* * *

**Deck—10:45**

Ironwood and Goodwitch avoided the blaster fire of the pirates who boarded the ship. The general returned fire before ducking into cover. "You know, Glynda," Ironwood smirked, "it's nice to be working together, again, like this."

"Don't get sentimental right now," Goodwitch said. She used her crop to levitate a pirate's blaster from his hand and throw it overboard. "We have to deal with these pirates. Qrow, Raven, what's your status?"

"_Boarding an enemy ship in the middle of a firefight where everyone has a blaster on you isn't exactly easy in my regular bird form!" _Qrow complained. "_No wonder Raven said 'screw it', and warped on board. Also, I have the hostages to consider. One wrong move, and there's going to be more bloodshed than necessary!"_

"_I already saved a few,"_ Raven replied. "_Still, these pirates have some upgraded Cartel droids… holy crap!" _Suddenly a portal opened up nearby, and four lasers erupted from it, one hitting the side of the _Blue-2_.

"Raven!?" Goodwitch asked.

"_That was too close!"_ Raven said. "_I guess Quay had more Dust than we thought still aboard his ship. He must have shared it with the Hutt Cartel, and Bal'rog used it to upgrade his combat walker droids because this one's huge, and the others aren't slouches! If only we could take this fight higher… Dust can't work outside of breathable atmospheres without the Force itself being channeled through it. Summer's lucky."_

"Indeed," Ironwood said, grabbing his pistol and taking down another pirate. "Where is Tillicru?" He was answered by the Jedi jumping in front of them, and parrying blaster bolts before Force Pushing some of the pirates off the ship. "So much for a 'thou shalt not kill' order."

"This is to protect Natsumi's child, and with her the Republic and Jedi Order," Tillicru justified, deflecting more shots. "If Natsumi Himura's daughter is injured, captured, or killed and we could have done something to prevent it, she would no doubt end her alliance with the Republic violently. Keeping the Spirit of Roses' Daughter alive, if for the time being, will keep the Spirit of Roses pacified. Furthermore, I cannot turn a blind eye to your student population, even if they are not being endangered by these pirates."

"...Well said," Ironwood nodded. He suddenly felt his Scroll buzz. He looked at it while Tillicru took over the defense. He growled. "Damn it!" He then turned his gun on the pirates, and opened fire, killing several. "I should have known that I was compromised!"

"What's wrong?" Goodwitch asked.

"Torchwick escaped, and the guards I stationed in that section are all dead," Ironwood replied. "I had a mole in my unit."

"So we're between a terrorist and a band of pirates backed up by a criminal empire," Goodwitch frowned. "If this can get any worse, now's the time!"

_**BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

Goodwitch, Ironwood, and Tillicru all barely stablized themselves from the rocking of the ship. The three looked at the source… another Bullhead, this one carrying several armed White Fang members, one of which was Adam Taurus himself, and Cinder in her masked stealth combat attire.

"...I asked for this," Goodwitch chided herself.

Adam turned to his men, and said, "Destroy Atlas' army. I'll deal with the unexpected Jedi."

"Are you sure about that?" Cinder asked, looking at Tillicru.

"You said you wished to do something," Adam replied. "Now's your time." With that, he jumped down, landing on the _Blue-2's_ deck.

"[Well, this was unexpected, but not unwelcome!]" a Weequay grinned. "[Locals coming to help us put these Huntsmen down!]"

_**SLICE!**_

The Weequay's body dropped to the ground as Adam sheathed his sword. The body then began to completely dissolve. "Who said you alien scum could touch my world?" Adam spat. He yelled at his men, "Slaughter the pirates, too!" Turning to Tillicru as gunfire rang out between the pirates and the White Fang, he said, "Have you made peace with your Force, Jedi?"

"Now this is the type of darkness I sensed coming here," Tillicru said, looking at the warrior. Noticing Adam's stance, he remarked, "Were you trained by the Raven of Nevermore?"

"Raven Branwen, I'm guessing," Adam asked. He scoffed. "No... I was trained by the same Faunus who trained her. That man was a traitor to my kind, teaching a human our techniques, and dealt with as such."

"I sense a lot of hostility in you," Tillicru remarked. "You killed your own former Master, which alone makes you dangerous. And there is someone else you feel betrayed by. A lover, perhaps?"

"Stop pretending like you know me!" Adam said, rushing at Tillicru, who blocked with his own lightsaber. Cinder, meanwhile, watched the White Fang engage both the pirates and the Atlesian troops. She smirked before dropping onto the deck.

"You," Goodwitch scowled at Cinder. "Allying with the White Fang, most likely enslaving them? Terrorist attacks? Grimm invasions? Attacking certain people with the intent to steal their power for your own selfish reasons!? You've caused more than enough trouble, you arrogant, foolish child! Ozpin was right about you!"

"I wouldn't talk down to me, anymore, if I were you," Cinder warned, summoning her bow. "You and Ozpin always looked down on me. You never approved of my training, Goodwitch. There was only one person before her who ever believed in me... even if she was a fool. But no matter. When I left you all, I was but the learner. Now, I am the Master... a complete circle for your arrogance." She summoned an arrow, drew back, and let if fly, only for it to be caught by Goodwitch's Semblance, not flinching as the tip was centimeters from her nose.

"Only a master of evil, Cinder," Goodwitch replied, returning the arrow to sender. Cinder blocked the shot with her hand, and even the unexpected explosion didn't seem to faze her, instead spliting her bow into two swords. Goodwitch decided enough was enough, and reached into her cloak, pulling out a familiar weapon. The blade of Goodwitch's lightsaber was violet.

As the two clashed swords, Cinder declared, "You should never have denied me the power that was rightfully mine. You should never have denied ANY of us the power that was rightfully ours! We were promised the Maidens' power, but instead, we were left for dead, and forgotten! Only I survived! Why!?"

"We said we'd TRAIN you four, against our better judgment, but we never promised make you Maidens! Rightfully so, knowing just how dangerous you girls were and what chaos would be unleashed if you ever got your hands on the Maidens' power!" Goodwitch replied as the swords relaxed. "And all you've done since that fateful day has only proven Ozpin and my fears correct. You were never meant to have that power, because you're absolutely insane!"

"Insane!?" Cinder spat.

"Insanity: noun," Goodwitch defined. "A state of mental illness where you repeat the same actions over and over expecting a different result. Example: you're once again pursuing dangerous magical power despite our warnings that you would never be given this power because of how dangerous and hostile you have proven yourself as."

"We'll see about that! And speaking of that power, before you die, I will drag the answer about where the rest of it is. While I'm at it, you'll tell me where I can find Summer Rose." Goodwitch's eyes widened. "Yes, I know she's alive. I aim to fix that. As well as her daughter and your new student."

"You won't touch a hair on any of their heads!" Goodwitch replied.

"We'll see."

And thus began Cinder and Goodwitch's clash.

* * *

Kingdom Rider92's Notes: Well, that happened. Let's review.

Ironwood's decision to bring Torchwick, Herbert, and Fleece aboard the ship was probably the most canon-based dumb decision he could have made, but it was either that or risk someone inside the school, where they know they have a potential mole (especially with Jedi and Sith about), breaking them out and/or killing them before they could be properly interrogated. But yes, Herbert CAN kick ass for a Force-blind Imperial. He's not on the same level as Grey (who DID technically beat a Dark Councilor in confirmed droid kills before Darth Mel cheated), and Torchwick and Neo are far more impressive than him, but Herbert can get the job done against non-Force-users and even low-level Force-users.

Meanwhile, I remembered Tillicru existed, so I had to put him somewhere in this scenario, and make use of his status as a serious threat to the Huntsmen AND their various enemies. He's an anti-hero as far as Ozpin's group is concerned, but he's useful in stopping Quay, who is ruthless against the helpless, but is scared of Force-users. Unfortunately, Tillicru is now held up by Adam, who apparently had the same master as Raven.

Cinder being forced by circumstance to make a move since Quay made one against Beacon (which she needs standing, and she needs Torchwick, so she can't afford to ignore Quay, even if he does a bit of damage, and she can get back Torchwick while crippling Atlas' guns and defenses, leaving Vale open). Also, if she eliminates key members of Ozpin's group now, she could easily weaken his position.

Finally, Summer and Cinder have had their respective histories given some light. Summer (since coming to Remnant) has had multiple students and we get to see her "family" from her childhood and glimpses of her life, and Cinder and three other girls were apparently betrayed and left for dead (not that it excuses her behavior) in the past by Ozpin's group, and Cinder being the sole survivor has a desire for revenge. If you want parallels, Cinder is an expy of Vader's more ruthless and power-seeking tendencies.

Well, all that's left is a few reviews.

**RedemptionWarrior:** Definitely, Ruby needs to train in non-weapon-based combat. It's a huge, exploitable flaw. As for why the lightsaber isn't a gun (yet), keep in mind it's RUMWASH's lightsaber, and Ruby's using it in its basic form. Not to mention Summer herself doesn't use multiformed weapons (although in my old drafts she does attach her lightsaber to her sniper rifle for the purpose of having a lightsaber bayonet). Ruby has yet to actually figure out how make blasters, similar to _Star Wars Rebels' _Ezra making a lightsaber-blaster hybrid.

**FEV Grim:** You're welcome. Arguably, it's nice to have apprentices for Darth Mel. I'll keep them in mind for the next fights. And I think we had a conversation about your last request so... yeah, we're good.

**Ritzel:** You know, you have an incredible point that, realistically, the Sith would have taken Ruby by now. However, I wanted Mel to be a noble demon villain who resents her boss and wants to play the long game of getting Summer on the throne in a more agreeable manner. I know it's slightly out of character for the Sith to do this, but please bare in mind not every Sith in canon/Legends has gone in with overkill invasions. Still, I understand where you're coming from, and I will do something about that.

**Gabriel H. Sapphire:** I do, too. I just wanted to have a small joke about Taiyang. Even the villainesses want him.

**DaManWOFear:** Yeah, things have escalated. Everyone here has come for Ruby and knows/fears her mother (save for Penny), and now she's super nervous. But Ruby is not going to make herself an easy target, wielding Rumwash's lightsaber.

Emerald surprised me by having some standards, at least compared to Mercury (who takes pleasure from causing pain and recorded the madness that was the Fall of Beacon) and Cinder (who is a power-hungry monster that tears apart the kingdoms and wants to start a world war, and comes damn close to succeeding). Here, she may be jealous of Team RWBY like in canon for being so happy, and she's willing to do bad things, but if even she is surprised by Ruby's genuine niceness and was horrified by what happened to Vale in canon, maybe she has a chance. Will she make a Heel-Face Turn here? I don't know, yet... maybe she'll try to convince Ruby to join HER side in an attempt to save her from Cinder's wrath (since Emerald would ultimately believe that Cinder's victory is inevitable, everything else Ruby does in this next Volume is just delaying Cinder's "assured" triumph at best and straight up pissing her off into wanting Ruby dead at worst (which has to be the case because Ruby threw a huge monkey wrench in her plans with that silver-eyed warrior mode), and the safest spot from Cinder is arguably BEHIND her). I have a whole theory that Cinder was reluctant to execute Pyrrha, and was originally planning to recruit her to the dark side, but Pyrrha's defiance and standing with Ozpin just sealed Pyrrha's fate to die on the top of the tower. But that's not here.

Speaking of Cinder, well, she's spending more time preparing for the inevitable confrontation with Summer. Will it be enough? Probably not, but it may not be that far off of an estimate, since the _Star Wars _Expanded Universe has had several Jedi and Sith defeated in surprise ambushes by non-Force-users, and Cinder is nothing if not a smart fighter. As for the Darth Mel fight, that WILL be an excellent one. It will probably make Ruby vs. Kebiin pale in comparison (because up until now, I've only had Teams RWBY and JNPR vs. Rumwash and Imperials, and that fight was tough for the heroes because giant spider droids and Jaune and Pyrrha were both nearly killed by Rumwash's dirty fighting).

Yeah, I will, one way or another, see _Rogue One._ Mainly to see how much damage Vader can do. There were a lot of dead Rebels promised in getting the information on the Death Star (sorry, I'm pro-Empire, simply because while the people in charge were unquestionably assholes, it at least promised a stable, peaceful government... up until they started wiping out planets as a result of Rebels and massacred the Jedi Order because a small Jedi strike team tried to assassinate Palpatine with very little presentable evidence. Had nobody considered petitioning the intergalactic government?). Speaking of which, when one applies real world logic to the Death Star, it should have been impossible for Luke to destroy it the way he did, the Force not-counted as a factor.

Alright. So, next time on_ Soul of Remnant,_ we'll have another battle in Combat Class while the battles aboard the _Blue-2_ occur, and see if the Branwens can work together. Farewell, subjects!


End file.
